A resident and a visitor from the Mainland had launched their crafts from the Kane'ohe Bay Marine Base in the early afternoon. Around 3 p.m. the visitor's craft flipped, became waterlogged and was disabled, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

After failing to tow the disabled machine in, the duo tried to return to base on the other craft but became stranded on coral when low tide occurred at sunset, around 5:50 p.m., the Coast Guard said.

Neither had a cell phone, but on shore, the wife of one called for help when the duo didn't return. The Coast Guard was alerted at 10:25 p.m. and a search helicopter was sent out.