Molokai man safe after clinging for hours to capsized canoe
A 66-year-old Molokai man was safely ashore Sunday night after spending the late afternoon clinging to a capsized canoe a mile in the open ocean.
An alert person on shore spotted the Ualaeue man’s canoe drifting a mile off Kamalo Wharf around 3:30 p.m. and called the fire department. A rescue crew from Pukoo Fire Station was joined by additional fire rescue personnel on personal watercraft, rescue boats, and helicopter as well as a Coast Guard helicopter and cutter and a private ferry.
Another man, who had been paddling with the missing man when they became separated, also joined in the search using a private vessel. He was able to locate his friend — uninjured and in good condition — about one mile offshore of Kakahaia Beach Park, about six miles west of where he was last spotted.
The Ualaeue resident was reported to be in good condition with no injuries, a Maui fire official said.