A man and a woman from Oxnard, Calif., escaped injury after their sailboat ran aground on the reef late Sunday evening off Old Kona Airport Park in Kailua-Kona.
A man and a woman from Oxnard, Calif., escaped injury after their sailboat ran aground on the reef late Sunday evening off Old Kona Airport Park in Kailua-Kona.
Responding to the 11:55 p.m. report, Hawaii Fire Department rescue personnel arrived at the scene to find the “Seaquel” taking on water approximately 100 feet to 200 feet offshore fronting the southern-most pavilion at the Hawaii County facility.
While rescue crews were responding, the man and woman aboard the vessel entered the water to attempt to swim to shore. They both made it to shore safely and reported no injuries to awaiting medics, according to police.
The man and woman remained at the scene Monday morning assessing the damage to their vessel, which lists Ventura, Calif., on its side. Both declined to speak to the media, but confirmed they suffered no injuries.
State Department of Land and Natural Resources as well as U.S. Coast Guard crews also remained on the scene Monday morning.
DLNR Spokeswoman Deborah Ward said the vessel had approximately 5 gallons of fuel on board. As of early Monday morning, no leak had been detected.
The department’s Kona Division of Aquatic Resources and Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation are investigating the incident, she said.
Ward said that the Coast Guard-registered vessel appears to have run aground on coral. The Division of Aquatic Resources will assess the damage weather permitting, likely after the vessel has bene removed.
She added that the state has yet to determine if the vessel is insured.