Coast Guard, fire crews search for missing
sailor from stricken boat in Hawaii County. cold front brought high winds and high seas.
By Star-Advertiser staff
POSTED: 06:06 p.m. HST, Jan 03, 2015
LAST UPDATED: 09:51 p.m. HST, Jan 03, 2015
LAST UPDATED: 09:51 p.m. HST, Jan 03, 2015
Hawaii County fire rescue personnel and the Coast Guard
were searching Saturday for a person missing after a 75-foot sailboat that
capsized in heavy seas west of Hawaii island.
According to a Coast Guard spokesperson, witnesses saw
signal flares from the area on Friday evening and alerted local authorities.
The boat later ran aground off Four Seasons Resort
Hualalai.
According to the website ywamsships.net, operated by the
missionary group Youth With a Mission, the 75-foot Hawai'i Aloha headed out to
sea Friday to "outlast the dangerous conditions" as a cold front
brought high winds and seas.
About 4 miles from shore, the boat was hit broadside by
a series of large waves and flipped twice.
The crew shot off flares and three women and a man
abandoned ship in a life raft. They were helped to shore by two Jet Ski
operators, the website said.
Another man remains missing.
A Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew spent the
day searching the area. The Coast Guard patrol boat Kittiwake also was
dispatched to aid in the search.
YWAMS ships brings medical, dental and clean water
supplies to remove islands otherwise unreachable, the website says. The ship
was loaded with supplies and was set to sail for Christmas Island Tuesday.
The National Weather Service warned mariners to expect
west to northwest winds of 35 mph, with higher gusts, and rough seas of 8 to 14
feet in all channels through Saturday.
In Honolulu, the same storm system kept Honolulu
firefighters busy Friday night and Saturday morning as they responded to nearly
four dozen reports of downed trees in a 12-hour span.
Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Kendall Ching said
from 9:15 p.m. Friday to 9 a.m. Saturday, firefighters responded to 44 reports
of downed trees, 16 calls for blown roofs and three reports of arcing wires.
Weather-related troubles started earlier Friday when
firefighters responded to 21 reports of downed trees, nine reports of power
line problems, nine requests for assistance for blown roofs and four calls
about arcing wires from 12:01 a.m. to 9:15 p.m. Friday, Ching said.
Reports of downed trees continued into Saturday
afternoon.
Blackouts punctuated the island Friday night. Power
finally was restored to about 1,200 customers in the Mililani Tech Park and
Launani Valley area at 1:35 p.m. Saturday.
The weather service said much quieter weather is
expected for the remainder of this weekend following Friday night's passing
cold front.
Due to runoff from the heavy rain, the state Health
Department issued a brown-water advisory Saturday for Waimea Bay on Oahu and
coastal seas off West Maui. The warning extended from Honolua Bay to Hanakaoo
Beach Park just south of Kaanapali.
The public is advised to stay out of floodwaters and
stormwater runoff because of possible overflowing of cesspools and sewer
manholes, pesticides, animal fecal matter, dead animals, pathogens, chemicals
and associated flood debris, the Health Department said. Brown water also is
known to attract sharks because of dead animals possibly being washed into the
ocean, officials said.
The summit of Haleakala National Park remained closed
because of downed trees and a landslide outside the park's summit entrance,
said National Park Service spokeswoman Polly Angelakis. The Kipahulu District
of the park is open but there were lots of downed trees and rocks on Hana
Highway, she said.
On Hawaii island, about 5,900 Hawaii Electric Light Co.
customers in North Hilo and Hamakua, as well as spots in Hilo, lower and upper
Puna, and Kau were experiencing power outages by mid-afternoon Saturday. Winds
caused trees to fall into power lines and break lines and poles.
Several roads on Hawaii island closed Saturday morning
because of fallen trees, including Route 11 at the 68 mile marker.
According to Hawaii County Police, Route 137 in Puna
closed temporarily, along with Kohala Mountain Road on the north side of the
island and parts of Old Mamalahoa Highway, because of storm hazards and fallen
trees.
Red Cross volunteers were assessing the damage in Maui
and Hawaii counties.
The bad weather also forced prison officials to cancel
visiting hours Saturday at Kulani Correctional Facility. A state Department of
Public Safety spokeswoman reported downed trees and hazardous conditions along
Stainback Highway, which leads up to the prison.