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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, April 2, 2009

HANALEI
Boaters adrift off Na Pali rescued by tour catamaran

Two Hanalei men adrift on the Na Pali coast in a 14-foot Boston Whaler were rescued yesterday afternoon by a commercial tour boat operator.

The men left the Hanalei River in the boat early Tuesday and were scheduled to return at 3:30 p.m. yesterday, the Kaua'i Fire Department reported.

The father of one of the men contacted the Coast Guard yesterday afternoon and reported that his son and his friend had not returned.

About 3 p.m., Coast Guard officials contacted the Hanalei fire station and requested help with a shoreline search by helicopter.

Before Hanalei firefighters left their station, the Coast Guard informed them that they had heard Capt. Lonnie Swain of catamaran Kahanu on VHF radio saying that he had located the men about a mile off the coast of Miloli'i and that he would take them to Port Allen on his boat.