Search Suspended for Missing Mariner

The United States Coast Guard has suspended the search for 67-year-old Ron Ingraham, who has been missing since Thursday after he placed a mayday call at 8:03 a.m. saying his vessel was taking on water and in danger of sinking 46 miles west of Kailua-Kona.

“The suspension of an active search and rescue case without definitive resolution is one of the most difficult command decisions a commanding officer has to make,” said Captain Shannon Gilreath, Sector Commander, Coast Guard Sector Honolulu. “We have exhausted all available resources in our efforts to locate Mr. Ingrahm but, pending further developments, I have decided to suspend the active search.”

A multitude of search parties were part of the search efforts that covered an extensive area. The Coast Guard and Navy crews flew a combined 59 sorties and covered approximately 12,000 square miles since Thursday.

Among those involved in the search were MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crews and HC-130 Hercules airplane crews from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, along with crews of the Coast Guard Cutter Ahi, an 87-foot patrol boat homeported in Honolulu and a Navy p-3 Orion crew from Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay.

Ingraham is believed to be the only person aboard the 25-foot sailing vessel Malia. He departed from Kaunakakai Harbor, Molokai and was heading towards Manele Bay, Lanai.