Three men were rescued on Monday by a container ship, they had been stranded in a sailboat, off the Hawaiian Islands for about 24 hours as Hurricane Julio viciously attacked their vessel with enormous waves and high winds that managed to rip off one of the sailboats hatches.
The men were sailing from California to Hawai, according to the Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Gene Maestas. The Coast Guard reported that they got their message on Sunday, this was when the boat became disabled and started taking water about 400 miles northeast of Oahu.
The sailboat was a victim of 30 foot seas and winds up to 92 to 115 mph. The rough conditions broke the vessel’s mast and blew off one of its hatches, according Petty Officer 2nd Class Tara Molle. She further added that these were the worst conditions perceivable and expressed surprise and relief at no reported injuries and the rescue.
Petty Officer Mellisa Mckenzie explained, that the sailboat was so far out in to the sea that a helicopter couldn’t make the journey so the Coast Guard coordinated with Matson Inc. container ship which was on its way from Long Beach, California to deliver goods to Honolulu. They did however, try to send supplies to the sailboat while the container ship was on its way. A Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules plane from Oahu, tried to unsuccessfully drop supplies to the sailboat including water pumps and life rafts. Usually the plane’s crew is capable of dropping a sandwich bag full of sand from 75 feet in the air with pinpoint accuracy but with the hurricane conditions it was extremely difficult. When radio contact was made with the sailboat’s captain, he reported high blood pressure and chest pain because of bailing out water.
No other information regarding how the sailboat collapsed or got damaged was immediately available.