The U.S. Coast Guard continued its search Friday for a small boat that reportedly began taking on water Thursday morning miles offshore of Kailua-Kona.
The U.S. Coast Guard continued its search Friday for a small boat that reportedly began taking on water Thursday morning miles offshore of Kailua-Kona.
The vessel might bear the name “Molea” or “Malia,” U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Melissa McKenzie said, noting the vessel name was difficult to make out from the short Mayday call made by a man shortly after 8 a.m. Thursday. No sign of the vessel or man had been found as of press time Friday.
“All we got was that Mayday call,” McKenzie said. The vessel did not appear to have an Emergency Locator Beacon.
Anyone who might have any information about the mariner, vessel or the voyage plan is asked to contact the U.S. Coast Guard at 842-2600.
Watchstanders at Sector Honolulu Command Center received a Mayday call via VHF radio Ch. 16 at 8:03 a.m. Thursday from the unidentified mariner, who relayed coordinates that placed him about 46 miles west of Kailua-Kona. The mariner reported flooding on his small boat before communications were lost.
“This is a Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. I’m in the middle of Alenui(haha) Channel, uh, small boat in danger of sinking,” the man said before listing off his location. “Anybody picks this up give me a relay. This is a Mayday, Mayday.”
The mariner did not provide a description of the vessel. It was still unknown Friday the number of people aboard the boat.
An HC-130 Hercules airplane crew and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew launched at 8:30 a.m. Thursday from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point. The HC-130 was slated to depart the search area about 8 p.m. Thursday. The Coast Guard Cutter Ahi was on its way to the search area to assist. Ahi was expected to arrive in the search area about midnight Friday.
The search and rescue crews are being assisted by information from a self-locating datum marker buoy that tracks currents to plot a possible search area for the vessel, McKenzie said.
Email Chelsea Jensen at cjensen@westhawaiitoday.com.