Six Rescued From Fishing Boat Near Kaho’olawe

Coast Guard Station Maui at Maalaea, file photo by Wendy Osher.

By Wendy Osher

Six people are safe after being rescued from a charter fishing boat that sank in about 1,200 feet of water off  Kaho’olawe in Maui County on Monday afternoon, officials said.

The US Coast Guard said the incident was reported at around noon on Monday, April 1, about two miles off Kaho’olawe.

According to Coast Guard reports, the fishermen abandoned the 43-foot Piper vessel when it began taking on water.  The captain of the boat reportedly told authorities that passengers put on life-jackets and climbed into a life raft.

The Coast Guard reportedly dispatched a 45-foot response boat from Maui and issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast, seeking assistance from other vessels in the area.

According to a press release issued by the 14th District Coast Guard office, the crew aboard the recreational vessel Misti III responded and safely transported the six survivors of the sinking vessel to Ma’alaea Harbor.  No serious injuries were reported, according to officials.

Officials with the US Coast Guard say there was an unspecified amount of diesel fuel aboard. The incident is being monitored and an investigation into the cause of the sinking is underway, officials said.