Woman, child, turtle and cat rescued from sailboat off Hawaii

The U.S. Coast Guard and Navy rescued a distressed woman, her daughter and their pets, a cat and a turtle, from a sailboat that was hit by severe weather about 925 miles off the coast of Hawaii.

Observers at the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) in Honolulu received a distress alert shortly after 12:30 p.m. Aug. 24 from an emergency radio beacon approximately 925 miles east of Hawaii, according to a Coast Guard news release.

The lookouts broadcast a SafetyNET message, which broadcasts maritime safety information to all vessels in the area, conducted a vessel survey and dispatched an HC-130 Hercules aircraft crew to search for people trapped on the sailboat.

The plane's crew spotted the 47-foot French-flagged vessel called the Albroc and a 47-year-old woman on board the boat sent out a distress call, explaining that she, her seven-year-old daughter and their pets needed to be rescued.

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The U.S. Coast Guard and Navy rescued a distressed woman, her daughter and their pets from a sailboat that was hit by severe weather about 925 miles off the coast of Hawaii. (U.S. Coast Guard District 14, Hawaii Pacific)

The woman also said there was a deceased man on the boat.

The Hercules crew was unable to establish direct communication with the woman, but saw her light two distress flares and the sailboat drifting and taking on waves over the beam, the Coast Guard said.

The observers requested assistance from the Navy's Pacific Fleet and 3rd Fleet, which diverted the crew of the USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer based in Pearl Harbor, to the sailboat's position. They also requested assistance from the captain of the Seri Emperor, a 754-foot, Singapore-flagged liquefied petroleum gas tanker that was about 290 miles south of the sailboat.

On August 25 at 0900, the crew of a Hercules arrived on scene and observed a woman and a girl waving their arms before retreating to the cabin. The crew attempted to communicate with the two boaters by calling them on the radio and sending them messages, but without success.

The Coast Guard and Navy have successfully rescued a woman, child, cat and turtle from a sailboat stranded in severe weather off the coast of Hawaii. (U.S. Coast Guard District 14, Hawaii Pacific)

Later that day, at 1720, the Seri Emperor arrived on scene but was unable to rescue the boaters due to deteriorating weather conditions as Hurricane Gilma approached. The tanker's crew remained with the stranded sailboat until 5 a.m. on August 26, when the William P. Lawrence arrived.

The William P. Lawrence had six hours to safely complete recovery operations, the Coast Guard said, noting waves of more than 25 feet expected within 12 hours of their position and the damaged condition of the sailboat.

“I am extremely proud of the crew’s professionalism in planning and executing the safe recovery of two people at sea from a disabled vessel in increasingly difficult conditions,” said U.S. Navy Commander Bobby Wayland, commanding officer of the William P. Lawrence. “My boat crew, particularly the coxswain, displayed great skill and good judgment in approaching the stricken vessel and transferring the survivors. I also appreciate the outstanding coordination and information provided by the USCG throughout the operation. It is very gratifying to see the Navy and Coast Guard team working together so well.”

A small navy crew launched and rescued the woman, girl and their pets. But due to the weather conditions at the time of the rescue, there were 2.5 to 3 metre seas and 24 km/h winds, the deceased could not be safely recovered.

“While I am saddened by the loss of the captain of the sailing vessel, I could not be more proud of the combined efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy in saving the lives of two other passengers,” said Vice Adm. John Wade, commander of U.S. 3rd Fleet. “I am especially grateful for the professionalism demonstrated by the crew of the USS William P. Lawrence, who flawlessly executed the rescue under extremely dangerous conditions.”

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A Navy ship's small boat crew rescued a woman, a girl and their pets from a sailboat stranded in bad weather off the coast of Hawaii. (U.S. Coast Guard District 14, Hawaii Pacific)

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On August 28 at 1700, the William P. Lawrence moored at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu, where representatives from the Coast Guard and the Honorary Consul of France in Hawaii received and provided care to survivors.

“Through tireless planning, coordination and teamwork, our surveillance teams assembled the key elements needed for such a dynamic search and rescue operation,” said Kevin Cooper, JRCC Honolulu Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator. “The use of an emergency beacon was also critical in allowing our crews and partners to locate the sailboat. We are grateful to the crews of the Seri Emperor and the William P. Lawrence for reaching the mother and daughter, who were right in the path of Hurricane Gilma.”

The sailboat remains adrift about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) east of Honolulu, the Coast Guard said.