Coast Guard, Navy, Local Crews Continue Search For Missing Sailor

HONOLULU – The Coast Guard, U.S. Navy and local agencies, continue to search for a missing sailor off of Kaena Point, Friday.

Friday’s search is scheduled to include the Coast Guard Cutters Walnut and Kiska as well as a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium from Station Honolulu, a 47-foot Motor Life Boat from Station Kauai, an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and HC-130 Hercules airplane from Air Station Barbers Point. Crews aboard the Military Sealift Command’s Submarine and Special Warfare Support Vessel C-Commando are also involved as well as Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters and a Navy P-3C Orion airplane are also joining the search efforts. Thursday’s search also included a Navy SH-60B Seahawk helicopter.

Crews are searching an area from Kaena Point stretching 30 miles north and 74 miles west. The total search area for Friday is approximately 690 square miles. The total area searched, since Tuesday, is 9,896 square miles, more than twice the square mileage of the Big Island.

Coast Guard watchstanders in the Sector Honolulu command center were initially notified of the missing man on Tuesday afternoon.

Coast Guard crews searched throughout the night on Tuesday, all of Wednesday and into Thursday. Search crews extended their search area Thursday based on data received by self locating datum marker buoys, which help track ocean current directions, assisting search planners in directing the different air and surface assets.