At Laie beach, workers continue to clear debris from sunken boat

State workers Thursday continued to clear Mission Beach in Laie of debris from the 55-foot sailboat Doubloon, which left a half-mile-long path of wood, plastic and other remnants after it broke up in the rough surf.

Eight members of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Land and Boating divisions spent Wednesday using trash cans, rakes and an all-terrain vehicle to remove several truckloads of debris left by the vessel, which sank Tuesday morning while the Coast Guard worked to free a 45-foot rescue boat that got into trouble trying to tow the Doubloon, DLNR said Thursday.

The four-man crew was airlifted off the rescue boat, which was anchored Tuesday when it became disabled 250 yards from the beach, the Coast Guard said. On Wednesday another rescue boat was able to tow the disabled craft to deeper water, from where the Coast Guard cutter Ahi took it to Sand Island. A personal watercraft crew from Waterfront Operations at Marine Corps Base Hawaii assisted in the operation.

The state crew using the all-terrain vehicle Wednesday made numerous trips through a narrow beach access path to Kame­ha­meha Highway, where the debris was then loaded into a dump truck, DLNR said.

"The DLNR team is doing great work to make this beach safe again for people," said Meghan Statts, Oahu branch manager of the Boating Division.

"We continue to encourage people to avoid Mission Beach to Huki­lau Beach, as the wood from the Doubloon is full of nails and screws. Even after the cleanup is finished, it’s possible that additional debris may wash up on shore."

The owner of the Doubloon, a 72-year-old man, was hospitalized after the stranding of his vessel, DLNR said. The boat was insured, and the state is working with the insurance carrier to cover the state’s cost for cleanup.

The Coast Guard is investigating the incident.