A large passenger boat, resembling the size of a yacht, got stranded in the intense surf near a Hawaiian beach over the weekend. The vessel was precariously tossed by strong waves, almost tipping to its side before coming to a halt.
KHON-TV reported that the events occurred around 8 a.m. Saturday when the swells were peaking and the tide was bottoming out.
The 60-foot (18 meter) boat, called Discovery, had two crew members aboard when it became grounded near Kewalo Basin Harbor in Honolulu, according to a statement from the U.S. Coast Guard.
The cause of Discovery’s difficulties is still under investigation, and no mechanical issues were reported before the incident, as per the Coast Guard. The operator mentioned that two significant waves struck the stern, affecting his navigation. The vessel lost its propulsion after hitting the ground.
The Coast Guard also stated that they removed the boat’s fuel, oil, and batteries, eliminating any risk of pollution. A company was scheduled to tow the boat away during high tide on Sunday afternoon.
The grounding event was caught on video from numerous angles, with observers shouting as the Discovery tilted sideways down a wave before momentarily stabilizing in the surf.
Ramon Brockington, a 41-year-old surf filmmaker, noted that he and others had anticipated the larger swells for three days, using weather apps that draw data from ocean buoys. He was capturing footage of body surfers at Panic Point, an area off the harbor, when the passenger boat unexpectedly appeared, riding a wave into his view.
“Basically they were coming in trying to beat this wave,” Brockington told The Associated Press. “And the boat didn’t have enough power to get in front of this wave. So what happened was a wave ended up picking up the boat, and the captain basically lost all steering whatsoever.”
The powerful surf pushed the vessel into water that’s about two-feet deep or less, Brockington said. He’d never seen anything like it.
“Basically, the boat was surfing like a giant surfboard,” he said. “I’ve never seen a boat of that size and caliber being picked up like a toy and basically launched across the beach.”
The Discovery eventually drifted against a concrete wall that lines the shore.
Atlantis Adventures, which owns the Discovery, said in a statement that the two experienced crew members aboard were not injured.
“We are working closely with all government regulatory agencies to have the shuttle boat safely removed from where it was grounded, towed back to its pier location and thoroughly inspected before it is returned to service,” Atlantis Adventures said.
The boat is Coast Guard certified and regularly undergoes Coast Guard inspections, the company said. Its captains ferry people to and from the Waikiki submarine dive site and are trained and Coast Guard certified.
