As Hurricane Gilma approached Hawaii, a mother, her daughter, and their pets found themselves stranded on their sailboat in the Pacific Ocean. The sailboat, bearing a French flag, was battered by raging seas and high winds, with the man identified as the captain found dead on board. The woman and her child were in a dire situation, prompting a daring rescue operation by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Navy in the midst of the storm.
The distress alert from the sailboat, named Albroc, reached the Coast Guard on August 24, with the woman reporting being beset by weather and in need of rescue. Despite challenging conditions caused by Hurricane Gilma, the Coast Guard and Navy worked together for the rescue operation. On August 26, the Navy’s USS William P. Lawrence successfully rescued the woman, her daughter, their cat, and tortoise from the sailboat.
The Navy ship arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu, where the mother and daughter received care. Unfortunately, the body of the man identified as the vessel’s master could not be recovered due to dangerous conditions, leaving the sailboat adrift at sea. The precise cause of his death and why the boat was in the hurricane’s path remained unclear.
Cmdr. Bobby Wayland of William P. Lawrence praised the crews for their professionalism in executing the rescue operation in challenging conditions. The seamless coordination between the Navy and Coast Guard was commended for successfully bringing the stranded individuals and their pets to safety.
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