Rescue officers from the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) sprang into action following a distress call from boaters off the coast of the Wailupe area. The call, received yesterday at approximately 10:50 a.m., prompted the dispatch of seven units encompassing 22 skilled personnel who arrived at the scene just minutes later. According to information provided by the HFD, the responders immediately sought to locate a 13-foot vessel reported to be in trouble about one mile offshore.
The distress scenario unfolded with the small craft found to be taking on water and an eventual capsize that left the ocean claiming the vessel and its three occupants. These boaters, clinging to the buoyancy of hope and their personal flotation devices, found themselves amidst the vast expanse of the sea. Good Samaritan surfers nearby noticed their ordeal and didn’t hesitate to provide them with the crucial aid they needed.
Efficiency marked the response of the Ocean Safety Department (OSD) rescue skis, which rushed to the scene by 11:08 a.m. One of the rescue skis took on the task of shepherding the stranded boaters to the safer shores while its counterpart stood by the beleaguered vessel. It was an action ensuring that the disabled boat did not pose a threat to the fragile reef ecosystem by running aground…