The U.S. Coast Guard successfully rescued five adults on Tuesday afternoon, December 10th, 2024, after their vessel capsized near Nawiliwili Harbor on Kauai.
According to officials, the incident was reported at 2:38 p.m. when personnel at Coast Guard Station Kauai intercepted a distress transmission about an overturned 15-foot boat with five individuals in the water. The Coast Guard Sector Honolulu command center immediately issued a safety alert and dispatched a Kauai Station 45-foot Response Boat-Medium (RB-M) crew to the scene.
The response team arrived within 10 minutes and found one individual clinging to the hull of the capsized boat while four others floated nearby. None of the boaters were wearing life jackets at the time of the incident.
Rescue crews quickly brought all five individuals to safety, righted the overturned vessel, and towed it back to Nawiliwili Boat Harbor. Authorities confirmed that no injuries were reported.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Austin J. Santos, a communications unit controller at the Sector Honolulu command center, reminded boaters to always have safety gear on board. “Wearing a life jacket can significantly reduce the risk of drowning during an emergency,” Santos said. “We remind all boaters to properly equip their vessels with safety gear, such as life jackets, emergency beacons, and reliable communication devices.”
PHOTOS: U.S. Coast Guard