71
A fisherman who had been missing overnight was rescued Thursday by the Coast Guard about five miles off of Kapaa.
The man, 61, was reported overdue from a fishing trip at about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. According to the Coast Guard, he departed in a 14-foot Boston Whaler from the Waikaea Canal in Kapaa earlier in the day along with a group of other fishing boats.
The Kauai Fire Department and Kauai Police Department joined the Coast Guard in a search that covered nearly 2,000 square miles.
The man reported hearing a helicopter and flashing a light, but the light was not seen by rescue crews due to the weather conditions, the Coast Guard said. He did not have a VHF marine radio, GPS, compass or signal flares.
The Coast Guard said at 8:09 a.m. Thursday, a crewmember on one of its rescue helicopters spotted the fisherman, and he was escorted back to Kapaa Harbor.
