Towing Vessel Sinks off Oahu
A 95-foot towing vessel, Nalani, sank approximately two and half miles west of Barbers Point Harbor, Oahu, Thursday, the U.S. (USCG) Coast Guard reported. The 11 people on board Nalani were rescued safely.
The pilot aboard the sinking towing vessel placed a call at 3:13 p.m. via VHF Channel 16, alerting USCG watchstanders at the Honolulu command center that the vessel was taking on water and was in danger of sinking.
The Coast Guard Cutter Kittiwake, an 87-foot coastal patrol boat homeported in Honolulu, launched to the scene along with a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Honolulu and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, USCG said.
Sector Honolulu also sent out an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast to Mariners notifying vessels in the area of the situation. The towing vessel Tiger 7 and a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration patrol boat heard the UMIB and arrived on scene to assist.
The crew of the NOAA vessel safely rescued niine crew members, and the Tiger 7 crew rescued two. No injuries were reported. The RBM arrived on scene shortly after the rescue and safely transferred all 11 survivors, all of whom were wearing lifejackets, aboard and for transport back to Station Honolulu.
USCG is conducting an investigation into the sinking and has begun interviews with the crew. The cause of the sinking is unknown and is under investigation.
The Nalani sank in approximately 2,200 feet of water and was carrying an estimated 75,000 gallons of diesel fuel. An oil sheen was observed by Coast Guard responders before nightfall. Additional over flights are planned for Friday morning and shoreline assessment teams will be out to evaluate shorelines for impact. A unified command will be established Friday to coordinate response efforts. Identified areas of potential impact are from Barbers Point, north to Nanakuli.