18 Foot Boat Runs Into Engine Trouble off Ukumehame

Maui water, background photo by Wendy Osher; Coast Guard logo overlay.

Lahaina firefighters responded to a report of a disabled boat about two miles off of the Ukumehame area in West Maui on Thursday night.

The incident was reported at 6:55 p.m., on Thursday June 30, 2016.

Maui fire officials say the Coast Guard in Honolulu was in text message communication with two people aboard an 18-foot boat that had encountered engine trouble, and was now anchored a few miles offshore.

The mariner’s also reported that their phone battery was nearly dead and that they were both hearing impaired.

A Lahaina ladder crew launched a rescue boat from the Māla Boat Ramp in Lahaina and headed towards the boat’s reported GPS coordinates off of the Ukumehame area.

When firefighters reached the distressed boat at 7:45 p.m., a Coast Guard crew from Māʻalaea was already with the mariners.