Posted at 11:23 a.m., Monday, March 4, 2002
Coast Guard finds Moloka'i boaters
Advertiser Staff
Coast Guard rescue crews, assisted by a commercial tugboat, this morning located a disabled fiberglass craft 15 miles off O'ahu that reportedly went adrift after setting off from Moloka'i.The two men aboard the 17-foot Lei Moku used a cell phone to call Moloka'i 911 dispatchers when they encountered fuel problems at 4:50 a.m.
Coast Guard officials said the men were disoriented and unable to report their location. They were equipped with radio equipment but inexperienced at using it, said Coast Guard Petty Officer David Mosley.
The boaters put out a distress call that was picked up by the Hokukea, a commercial tugboat, but the tug operators were unable to get a response to its radio calls to the Lei Moku, Mosley said.
The Hokukea diverted from its course for 2› hours to help the Coast Guard pinpoint the location. The guard dispatched two HH-65 search-and-rescue helicopters and the Kittiwake, an 87-foot patrol boat.
One helicopter spotted it about 9 a.m. about 15 miles southeast of Diamond Head, Mosley said; it hovered until the patrol boat could arrive to tow it back to shore.
