On July 12, 2025, the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) received a 911 call at 3:54 p.m. and responded to a boater in distress offshore of Waikiki with 5 units with 13 personnel. The first unit arrived at the Ala Wai Boat Harbor at 4:04 p.m. to investigate.

It was reported that a 28-foot sailboat, with three souls onboard, encountered steering issues and were adrift. The boaters were instructed to lower the sail and drop an anchor to hold the vessel in place. HFD’s rescue boat made contact with the vessel and boaters at 4:23 p.m. Rescue personnel boarded the vessel and confirmed that there were no injuries and rigged the disabled vessel for towing. While in-tow, the boaters were able to repair their steering. HFD’s rescue boat safely towed the vessel to the Ala Wai Boat Harbor at 4:45 p.m. and the vessel was able to dock under its own power.

All HFD personnel were accounted for with no reports of injuries.