LIHUE, KAUAI (HawaiiNewsNow) -
Coast Guard Sector Honolulu received a distress call at 7:41
a.m., from Wichman's spouse notifying watchstanders
that her husband's 14-foot Livingston boat was capsized south
of Port Allen.
Wichman was fishing in the area when he hooked a 230 lb. Ahi that
subsequently capsized his boat.
When his boat capsized, his leg was caught in the fishing line and
he was dragged underwater. After freeing
himself, he was able to get on top of the hull and call
his wife for help.
Sector Honolulu was able to establish communication with
Wichman via cell phone and launched a 47-foot Motor Life Boat
crew from Coast Guard Station Kauai and an MH-65 Dolphin
helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point to the
scene.
The Dolphin crew arrived on scene and found Wichman sitting on
the hull of his partially submerged vessel. A Coast Guard rescue
swimmer was lowered to the water and hoisted Wichman into the
helicopter. Sector Honolulu and Station Kauai coordinated with
Lihue Airport and local emergency medical personnel to
arrange for medical transport to Wilcox Memorial
Hospital.
The MLB crew stayed on scene with the capsized vessel
until Jordon Ornellas and Abraham Apilado, friends
of Wichman arrived on scene with a vessel to help salvage
his boat. While assessing the situation to determine if they could
right the capsized vessel, Ornellas and Apilado realized that the
Ahi was still hooked on the fishing line attached the vessel. They
were able to reel in the Ahi, right the vessel and take it in tow
back to Port Allen.
"This rescue is a perfect example of why mariners must be sure they
have good safety equipment and reliable communications before
heading out on the water," said Lt. Jessica Mickelson, Sector
Honolulu's Public Affairs Officer. "Thankfully Mr. Wichman
was still able to use his cell phone after capsizing and entering
the water. Sector Honolulu was able to work in conjunction with 911
dispatch to get a GPS position of the capsized vessel from Mr.
Wichman's cell phone enabling Coast Guard rescue crews to arrive on
scene at the exact location of distress instead of having to
conduct a search. At the end of the day, we couldn't have asked for
a better rescue. Mr. Wichman was delivered safely to shore with
minimal injuries and he and his friends will have quite the
indisputable fish tale to tell."