Rescue of Family and Pets 925 Miles Off Hawaii During Hurricane Gilma
The U.S. Coast Guard and Navy successfully rescued a mother, her 7-year-old child, their pet tortoise, and cat from a sailboat stranded nearly 1,000 miles off the coast of Hawaii during Hurricane Gilma. The rescue operation occurred after the boat’s captain died, leaving the family alone at sea.
Incident and rescue operation
On August 25, the Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Honolulu received an emergency alert from a radio beacon, indicating a stranded family. The alert prompted a search operation, involving the deployment of an HC-130 Hercules aircraft to locate the family.
The aircraft spotted the 47-foot French-flagged sailboat, named Albroc, where the woman issued a mayday call stating that she and her daughter were onboard with the deceased captain. The circumstances surrounding the captain’s death remain unclear, as does his relationship with the woman and her child.
Challenges faced
Due to rough sea conditions, initial rescue attempts were challenging, with waves reaching up to 6 feet and winds blowing at 20 miles per hour. As Hurricane Gilma approached, a larger 754-foot Navy tanker arrived to provide additional support. The rescue was delayed until 5 a.m. when conditions improved, allowing the mother, child, and their pets to be safely transferred to rescue vessels.
Narrow escape
The rescue was completed just in time, as 12 hours after the operation, waves in the area where the boat had been stranded reached up to 25 feet, nearly half the length of the Albroc. The survivors were safely brought back to Honolulu. U.S. Navy Commander Bobby Wayland praised his crew for their skillful handling of the rescue and commended the coordination between the Navy and Coast Guard throughout the mission.