Father, sons rescued after boat capsizes off Lanai
By Matthew Nuttle
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MAUI COUNTY, Hawaii (KITV) — A man and his two young sons are lucky to be alive after being rescued when their boat capsized off of Lanai over the weekend.
The incident happened on Saturday just after 12 p.m. The US Coast Guard said it received a mayday call from a man who said his boat had capsized. Officials say the man did not state the boat’s location or any other details.
Rescuers sprang into action and immediately began conducting searches by air. The aircrews searched the waters west of Maui, south of Lanai, and west of Kahoolawe until about 5 p.m. when a helicopter crew spotted the 16-foot vessel upside down about seven miles south of Manele Harbor.
According to USCG officials, rescuers found the man and his two sons – ages 8 and 12 – clinging to the hull of the capsized vessel. They were not wearing lifejackets.
The crew deployed a swimmer into the water who then helped hoist all three family members to safety. They were airlifted back to the Kahului Airport. No injuries were reported.
Winds at the time of the rescue were blowing at about 9 miles per hour with 3-to-5-foot seas. The father told rescuers the boat capsized after it was swamped by a big wave.
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