Posted on: Tuesday, September 11, 2001

Search for missing boater continues

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

A Coast Guard cutter searched all last night for a 33-year-old man who was knocked off of his sail boat Saturday afternoon.

The man, whose name has not been released, left the Ala Wai Harbor with two male guests at about 5:30 Saturday afternoon. About three miles off of Diamond Head, the men said that a boom struck the boat's owner and knocked him in the water.

The men said they did not know how to sail the boat and could not turn it around to retrieve the man. With no cellular phone or radio, the men could not call for help until they were able to attract the attention of crew members on the Royal Princess cruise ship.

The Coast Guard began its search at about 7 p.m. Sunday and resumed yesterday morning. Because of ocean currents, yesterday's search was focused on waters off the Honolulu airport, said Coast Guard spokesman Gary Openshaw.

A cutter was expected to continue searching over night and helicopters will join the search at first light today, Openshaw said. Since Sunday, he said, the search has covered an area larger than O'ahu.

Openshaw said searchers have not found any signs of the missing man, who was wearing only shorts when he fell in the water. He said the men on board did not throw any life-saving device, such as a life ring, at the boat owner.