Posted on: Saturday, June 25, 2005

Coast Guard ends search for man, 74

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

The Coast Guard has suspended its search for a Big Island man whose sailboat was found breaking up on the south coast of Maui Tuesday.

The 41-foot Na Hoku O Kalani sailboat was found at about 4 a.m. Tuesday on the rocky shoreline at Kiakeana Point. The boat was owned by William Norcross, 74, of Kailua, Kona, the Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard responded to an emergency position indicating radio beacon, or EPIRB, at about 2 a.m. and launched an HH-65 helicopter. The vessel was found two hours later and a rescue swimmer inspected it.

The cabin was flooded and there were two large holes in the hull.

One of three life jackets was missing, which led the Coast Guard to believe that a person, possibly Norcross, was missing.

For three days, the Coast Guard and Maui Fire Department searched about 2,225 square miles of ocean and coastline for Norcross. The search was suspended late Thursday.

A week earlier, the Coast Guard had come to the aid of Norcross and his vessel. On June 15, Norcross became disoriented outside Ma'alaea Harbor and was assisted to the harbor.