Sailboat Catches Fire off Honolulu

A sailboat with five people aboard caught fire off Honolulu, Thursday, promting responsefrom the U.S. Coast Guard who sent a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Station Honolulu to tow the vessel to Pier 38 in Honolulu.

Sector Honolulu Command Center watchstanders received a report at 9 a.m. from patrons at Aloha Tower of the sailboat on fire about a mile off Sand Island.

The watchstanders immediately diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Morgenthau’s smallboat crew, already underway in the harbor for training, and directed the launch of the station’s RB-M crew. Upon arrival the rescue crews assessed the situation and found the crew aboard the sailboat had put the fire out with an extinguisher. No injuries or pollution were reported.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Leah Zieber, crewmember of Station Honolulu, said, “We arrived within 15 minutes. After ensuring the fire was extinguished and the crew was no longer in imminent danger we were able to safely tow the vessel and its five passengers back to shore.”