The U.S. Coast Guard and Navy successfully rescued a 47-year-old woman, her seven-year-old daughter and their pets from a disabled sailboat near Hawaii on Wednesday.
The rescue operation unfolded over the course of several days and involved several agencies who dealt with multiple challenges due to severe weather conditions, according to a Coast Guard press release.
The rescue effort began when the Coast Guard’s Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) in Honolulu received a distress alert at about 12:33 p.m. on Saturday from a vessel approximately 925 miles to Honolulu’s east.
The alert originated from the Albroc, sailing under the French flag. Upon arrival, a Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules airplane crew observed the sailboat and received a mayday call signaling for help. (RELATED: US Coast Guard Seized Iranian Weapons In Red Sea Bound For Houthis In Yemen)
The woman aboard the vessel reported that she and her daughter were beset by harsh weather with a deceased man on board and required rescue, the press release states. The Coast Guard failed to establish direct contact but observed a pair of flares being fired off and the sailboat “drifting and taking waves over the beam.” The area was beset with 6-foot seas and wind at 20 miles per hour.
JRCC Honolulu enlisted the support of the U.S. Navy’s Pacific and 3rd Fleets. The Navy dispatched the USS William P. Lawrence, a destroyer, to the scene. The JRCC also secured the assistance of the Singapore-flagged Seri Emperor gas tanker.
Another Hercules crew flew to the scene Sunday at 9 a.m. and witnessed “a woman and girl waving their arms before retreating inside the cabin,” according to the press release. Attempts to establish communication with them failed. The Seri Emperor reached the boat Sunday at 5:20 p.m. but was unable to extract the mother and daughter due to Hurricane Gilma’s approach.
The William P. Lawrence arrived on the scene at 5 a.m. Monday, at which point the Seri Emperor departed. With seas expected to rise above 25 feet within hours, the Navy crew faced a narrow window of opportunity to conduct the rescue through a small boat operation.
“I am extremely proud of the crew’s professionalism in planning and executing the safe recovery of two persons at sea on a disabled vessel in worsening conditions,” U.S. Navy Cmdr. Bobby Wayland, commanding officer of the William P. Lawrence, said, the press release reads.
Although the deceased individual could not be recovered due to the challenging weather conditions, the collaboration between the Coast Guard and Navy brought about the successful rescue of the woman, child, cat and tortoise.
“While saddened by the loss of the sailing vessel’s master, I couldn’t be prouder of the combined efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy who saved the lives of two other passengers,” said Vice Adm. John Wade, the commander of the U.S. 3rd Fleet, according to the press release.
