Ship Attempts to Rescue 3 Stranded Boaters

Published Aug 11, 2014 3:13 PM by The Maritime Executive

A container ship's crew was working on Monday to rescue three people aboard a disabled sailboat that took on water when it got caught in Hurricane Julio and encountered 30-foot waves hundreds of miles from Hawaii, a U.S. Coast Guard official said.

The crew of Matson's Manukai was trying to help the three people on the 42-foot sailboat get onto a life raft, said a U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman, Petty Officer Melissa McKenzie.

This follows previous rescue attempts that failed because of rough weather in the area about 415 miles northeast of the Hawaiian island of Oahu, McKenzie said.

The crew of the sailboat, which is named the Walkabout, sent out a distress signal on Sunday morning as Hurricane Julio moved across the Pacific Ocean near the Hawaiian archipelago, according to the Coast Guard.

This image depicts the Coast Guard's search area for sailing vessel Walkabout Aug. 10 2014.

The vessel was caught in winds of 92 to 115 miles per hour and 30-foot waves, and one of its hatches was blown away along with its life raft as the Walkabout took on water, the Coast Guard said.

Later on Sunday, an HC-130 military Hercules airplane approached the vessel and dropped a life raft into the water, but the three people on board the Walkabout were unable to get to it because of the tumultuous seas, McKenzie said.

That airplane had to leave the area to refuel, and it was replaced by another HC-130 which kept a watch over the sailboat as the Manukai traveled to the area, McKenzie said.

When the crew of the 661-foot cargo ship arrived on Sunday night they also deployed a life raft for the Walkabout's crew, but conditions were still too rough for them to get into it, McKenzie said. The effort was abandoned because it was too dangerous to continue in the dark, she said.

The cargo ship resumed the rescue attempt on Monday, she said.