The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Kittiwake tows a sailboat off Hawaii, July 29, 2018. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Elizabeth Uitdenhowen)
HONOLULU — The Coast Guard assisted a sailboat crew taking on water a mile off Kihono Bay, Sunday.
The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Kittiwake responded to the call and dewatered the 49-foot sailboat Hikoroa before towing it safely to Kawaihae Harbor.
There were no reports of injuries. The cause of the water intrusion on the sailboat is unknown at this time.
At 5:40 p.m., Coast Guard Sector Honolulu watchstanders received a report from Hawaii County Fire Department responders of a sailboat taking on water in its engineroom with two people aboard.
The Kittiwake crew launched from Kawaihae Harbor and met the distressed vessel. A rescue and response team from the cutter deployed onto the sailboat and dewatered the vessel. The water in the engineroom was reportedly waist-high at 3 feet 5 inches.
The crew of the Kittiwake then put the vessel in tow and brought it safely back to port.
The weather at the time of the incident was winds of 17-mph and seas of 5 feet.
