Three Rescued From Sunken Vessel Off Big Island

The Hilo-based US Coast Guard Kiska. USCG photo.

Three boaters were rescued by the Coast Guard after their 48-foot sailing vessel, Bobo Link, sank 2.5 miles off of Hapuna Beach today.

The Coast Guard rescued three Big Island residents:

• Steven Jenkins, 48-years-old, owner and operator of the Bobo Link
• Brandan Jenkins, 23-years-old
• Nathan Gibson, 43-years-old

Three boaters were rescued by the Coast Guard after their 48-foot sailing vessel Bobo Link sank 2.5 miles off of Hapuna Beach on Jan. 18, 2017. The crew of the USCGC Kiska (WPB 1336), homeported in Hilo, safely recovered the men from their life raft and transported them to Kawaihae Harbor. U.S. Coast Guard photo.

The crew of the USCGC Kiska (WPB 1336), home-ported in Hilo, safely recovered the men from their life raft and will transport them to Kawaihae Harbor.

“We cannot stress enough the importance of carrying and properly registering an emergency positioning-indicating radio beacon, which is ultimately what saved the lives of these men,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Tyler Peterson, a watchstander at Coast Guard Sector Honolulu command center. “While the men also were able to contact emergency services personnel via cell phone, we strongly recommend boaters carry a working VHF radio in the event that cell service in unavailable.”

At 1:48 p.m., watchstanders at the Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Honolulu received a hit from a registered EPIRB.

Minutes later, watchstanders at the Sector Honolulu command center received a relayed call from the Hawai‘i County Fire Department notifying them that a sailing vessel, with three persons aboard, sank off of the Big Island.

Sector Honolulu diverted the Kiska crew already on patrol in the area to the scene where an HCFD helicopter crew was to provide oversight until they arrived.

No injuries were reported.

Imagery will be provided as soon as it’s available.