Fishing Vessel Sinks at Honokōhau Harbor

A marine vessel became submerged in the waters at Honokōhau Harbor Monday.

Hawai´i Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) spokesperson Dan Dennison said the 35-foot sport fisher sank in the early morning hours of April 26. The cause of its sinking had not been made public as of Tuesday morning.

DLNR and members of its Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) staff began attempts at around 6 am Monday to refloat the fishing boat.

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) was also on site early Monday morning, as were representatives from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE). Oil spill mitigation efforts were established and were partially successful in containing the spill associated with the sunken boat, Dennison said.

The vessel was successfully refloated Monday evening at approximately 8:30 pm. USCG representatives were back on scene Tuesday morning. The plan, Dennison said, was for the boat to be towed from her slip to the ramp and placed on a trailer. 

The sinking of the ship occurred just one day after a 2019 black Toyota Tacoma truck and EZ Loader trailer slipped off the harbor’s North Mauka Boat Ramp and into the ocean. The truck was successfully hauled out of the water on Sunday, the same day it went in.

Authorities reported that the vehicle was in park with the E-brake on at the time of the incident. The cause remains under investigation, according to a report from the Hawai´i Fire Department.