Posted on: Monday, June 20, 2005
Visitor OK after water rescue
By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer
A 21-year-old tourist from New England was rescued yesterday morning in waters off Maui after being separated from his rented jet-powered watercraft the day before and spending Saturday night adrift with just a life jacket.
Andrew Shimabuku • The Honolulu Advertiser "He was tired but fine," Maui Fire Battalion Chief David Kamalani said. Hannon was taken to Maui Memorial Hospital, where he was examined and released.
Wearing a life jacket saved Hannon's life, officials said. Hannon's parents were flying to Maui yesterday to be with their son.
Hannon had been riding personal watercraft with two cousins and his brother when he lost his way. He said he was thrown off his WaveRunner by a large wave and that the watercraft drifted away before he could swim to it.
"I was a little worried in the first hour or so just because I had no idea what to make of the situation," Hannon said.
Ted King, owner of Pacific Jet Sports/Maui Ocean Activities — which rented the watercraft to Hannon and three others about 4 p.m. Saturday — had advocated the use of life jackets in his aquatic rental business long before a state law made it mandatory last year.
"Life jackets are the equivalent to seat belts in a car for anyone who steps on the ocean," King said yesterday.
"He was sitting on top of his life jacket, which was actually a good move on his part," said Pablo Lagarde of the Coast Guard. "If he was submerged with his life jacket, all we could see was his head."
King said the Hannon party rented new four-stroke, VX110 Yamaha WaveRunners for a half-hour. Company personnel called 911 at about 4:45 p.m. when only three of the rental party returned and did not know where Hannon was, King said.
Company personnel found the red watercraft Hannon was using, King said. According to the Coast Guard, the watercraft was found at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 4› miles off Honokowai.
"We assumed he must've fallen off but I don't know why he didn't swim to the machine," King said. "It's a puzzle to me." King said the new WaveRunner, which is less than four weeks old, was not damaged.
"I was really worried because of the (recent) shark sightings we've had," King said. "I'm happy he's all right. He's lucky it's Hawai'i and there's no hypothermia" from being in the water so long.
Because of darkness and poor water conditions, the overnight search was like looking for a needle in a haystack, Kamalani said. "It was absolutely nice that there was a happy ending for this family," Kamalani said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Reach Rod Ohira at 535-8181 or rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.
Maui Fire, Coast Guard and lifeguards had been searching for Patrick Hannon since 5:30 p.m. Saturday when he was spotted about 8 a.m. yesterday in the ocean where the Kalohi, Pailolo and 'Au'au channels intersect among Maui, Lana'i and Moloka'i. A Coast Guard C-130 Hercules crew found Hannon and an HH-65 helicopter from the Coast Guard air station at Barbers Point picked him up.
Max Mida, a Coast Guard aviation survival technician, described the rescue operation that brought Maui tourist Patrick Hannon to safety yesterday after a watercraft accident on Saturday left him stranded at sea. Officials said wearing a life jacket saved Hannon's life.
"I saw the helicopters out there from a very early point so I knew that they'd make sure that they'd be taking me home."
