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The Hawaii County firefighters used a helicopter to rescue two young female visitors who were on a capsized sailboat in the open ocean Wednesday afternoon.
The Fire Department said the women were found sitting on the underside of a 14-foot Sunfish, which had just overturned about 400 yards offshore of Honolii Beach Park.
Battalion Chief Warren Sumida said the girls were from the mainland and were participants in a youth adventure program.
“Today was a bad day,” Sumida said. Conditions were windy and choppy, he said.
The Fire Department got the call at 3:23 p.m., and were on scene at 3:37 p.m.
Chopper 1 brought the two women to shore using a billy pugh net.
They were evaluated and taken by Medic One to the Hilo Medical Center in good condition.
The cause of the capsizing was inexperience, the Fire Department said.
