When a 35-foot boat ran aground Friday in shallow waters on the northern side of Niihau and its operators placed a distress call, they probably weren’t expecting a 1,092-foot aircraft carrier to come to the rescue.
The USS Carl Vinson was operating 7 miles from the vessel as part of Rim of the Pacific exercises when bridge watch-standers heard the call and the big ship offered assistance, the Navy said.
Two MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters assigned to the “Black Knights” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 4 airlifted the five mariners at about 8:30 a.m. The helicopters transported four people to a Coast Guard facility on Kauai, while a fifth person was flown to a medical facility for evaluation, the Navy said.
“We were ready,” Capt. Matt Paradise, commanding officer of the Carl Vinson, said in a news release. “When nearby mariners needed assistance, we stepped up immediately and helped. That is what we are trained to and I’m proud of our team.”
The Carl Vinson has more than 5,000 crew members and 70 aircraft.
A Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew and a 45-foot response boat deployed to assess the scene. The stranded vessel was partly submerged with no debris or fuel spill visible at the time, the Coast Guard said.
Post office, closed since April, is reopening after flood repairs
HANALEI >> The Hanalei Post Office will reopen for business Monday, resuming its previous hours of operation, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays.
The post office, at 5-5226 Kuhio Highway, has been closed since the record rain and heavy flooding that hit Kauai’s north shore in April. The facility sustained severe damage during the flooding that required the interior to be gutted and rebuilt, according to a news release from the U.S. Postal Service.
The Hanalei Post Office will host an open-house event in August to celebrate its reopening, with details to be announced.
