- U.S. Coast Guard searching for missing sailor who failed to arrive in Hawaii as planned after setting sail from Long Beach on December 28.
- Sailor, Noel Rubio, has not been in contact with anyone since departure; last spoke to friend via cellphone on December 28.
- Coast Guard utilizing all available resources in search efforts, including urgent marine information broadcasts and consultations with experienced sailors and weather experts. Contact Coast Guard with any information on Rubio’s whereabouts or his vessel.
Additional Coverage:
The U.S. Coast Guard is currently conducting a search for a sailor who has not arrived in Hawaii as planned. Noel Rubio, a 60-year-old sailor, set sail from Long Beach, California on December 28 in his vessel called Malulani. He was expected to reach Oahu, Hawaii on January 18. However, Rubio never arrived at his destination and has not been in contact with anyone since his departure. He did speak to a friend via cellphone on December 28 to inform them that he was on his way to Hawaii.
Rubio’s boat, the Malulani, is a 32-foot Westsail sloop equipped with a marine band radio, which is the only means of communication on board. Douglas Samp, a search and rescue mission coordinator from the Coast Guard’s Alameda Rescue Coordination Center, emphasized the importance of having multiple forms of communication for an open-ocean crossing.
In their efforts to locate Rubio, the Coast Guard has been using all available resources. They have issued urgent marine information broadcasts and conducted harbor checks in California, Hawaii, and Mexico. Additionally, they have sought advice from experienced sailors regarding possible routes Rubio may have taken and consulted weather experts to understand how weather patterns could have affected his trip.
The Coast Guard expressed their gratitude for the expertise provided by trans-pacific sailors in guiding their search efforts. As the search continues, the Coast Guard is urging anyone with information about Rubio’s whereabouts or the location of the Malulani to contact them immediately. They can be reached at the JRCC Alameda by calling 510-437-3701 or emailing [email protected], or at the JRCC Honolulu by calling 808-535-3333 or emailing [email protected].