Coast Guard, Navy searching for 3 fishermen near Haleiwa, Oahu
July 5, 2016 5:42 am
HONOLULU — The Coast Guard rescued three boaters attempting to assist in the search and rescue case for three missing fishermen off of the North Shore of Oahu, Monday.
An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point hoisted three men aboard and safely transported them to Haleiwa Boat Harbor. A fourth man was able to swim to shore.
One of the four men is being treated by local emergency medical services personnel for hypothermia. No other injuries were reported.
The boater's 30-foot recreation vessel reportedly capsized and sank while they attempted to tow the 20-foot Iwa, a capsized and adrift vessel from an earlier search and rescue case.
Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Honolulu command center received a relayed call at 8:35 p.m., from dispatchers at the Honolulu Fire Department reporting they received a mayday call stating the boaters were sinking and abandoning ship. The mayday call was abruptly cut off after the notification.
Shortly after, watchstanders at the Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center received an emergency position indicating radio beacon alert in the vicinity of the North Shore, correlating with the mayday report. Watchstanders at Sector Honolulu diverted Coast Guard assets from the search for the fishermen to rescue the boaters.
Coast Guard crews are continuing the search through the night for the three missing fishermen originally reported overdue aboard the Iwa northwest of Oahu, early Monday.
Missing are Jensen Loo, Clint Oshima and Derek Tomas. All three men are 30-years-old. The Iwa was spotted overturned by the Coast Guard approximately 25 miles off of Haleiwa Boat Harbor during Monday's search.
An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew and an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew, both from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, are currently searching as well as the crew of the USCGC Kiska (WPB-1336).
An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast has been issued alerting mariners in the area to keep a sharp lookout and report any sightings to the Coast Guard Sector Honolulu Command Center.
Anyone with information that may help locate the three fishermen is asked to contact the Sector Honolulu Command Center at 808-842-2600.
There is no imagery from the development in this case. An image of the overturned Iwa may be found on the Defense Video and Imagery Distribution System site at: https://goo.gl/Iw2k3o.