As Hurricane Gilma approached Hawaii, a woman, her daughter, and their pets became stranded on a sailboat in the Pacific Ocean. The sailboat was battered by high winds and rough seas, resulting in the death of the man thought to be the captain. The woman sent a distress signal, prompting a joint rescue operation by the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy.
The sailboat, named Albroc, was located about 925 miles off the coast of Honolulu. The Coast Guard quickly responded to the distress alert and sent a plane to locate the vessel. The woman reported that she and her daughter were in need of rescue, along with their deceased companion on board.
Despite challenging conditions caused by Hurricane Gilma, the Coast Guard requested assistance from the Navy. The Navy’s USS William P. Lawrence arrived and successfully rescued the woman, her daughter, and their pets. The body of the deceased man could not be recovered due to dangerous conditions.
The Navy ship arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu, where the rescued individuals received care. The circumstances surrounding why the boat was in the path of the hurricane remain unclear. U.S. Navy Cmdr. Bobby Wayland commended the team’s effort in executing the rescue operation smoothly. The successful collaboration between the Navy and Coast Guard resulted in the safe rescue of the stranded individuals in the midst of a turbulent storm.
Photo credit
www.usatoday.com
