Large piece of tsunami debris recovered near Hawaii
In this photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, Joshua Marvit, of the State of Hawaii Dept. of Health, tests a 16-foot skiff for radiation after the vessel was salvaged by the crew of the F/V Zephyr approximately 800 miles north of Honolulu, Friday, Oct. 5, 2012. The skiff was confirmed to have been debris from the 2011 Japan Tsunami by the Japanese Consulate, after they contacted the owner, through the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and confirmed that they did not seek its return. (AP Photo/U.S. Coast Guard, Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric J. Chandler)
A 20-foot skiff, or small boat, washed out to sea during the March 2011 Japan tsunami has been recovered by a fisherman in waters off Hawaii, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said.
DLNR and federal officials announced a news conference this afternoon to talk about the recovery of the item and the cooperative roles of state and federal agencies in responding to arriving tsunami debris.
The Coast Guard said Friday the crew of the fishing boat Zephyr found the small boat intact and floating about 800 miles north of Honolulu.
The Coast Guard says the Japanese consulate confirmed the skiff was from the tsunami after Japanese Foreign Ministry contacted the owner. The owner doesn’t want it back.
Hawaii officials checked the boat for invasive species and radiation as a precaution.
Last month officials said a four-foot-square blue plastic bin was the first confirmed piece of tsunami debris from Japan to reach Hawaii.
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Authorities ask people who find possible tsunami debris to call the Department of Land and Natural Resources at 587-0400, email dlnr@hawaii.gov or contact the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration at disasterdebris@noaa.gov.
