HONOLULU The Coast Guard and Navy continue to search for a Seattle man aboard a 36-foot sailboat who departed Kauai Dec. 17 and was expected to arrive on Oahu Dec. 18 but has not been heard from.
Coast Guard Sector Honolulu personnel were notified at 3:15 p.m. Saturday that 66-year-old Ira Foreman was missing. Foreman s wife reported he was sailing from American Samoa to Oahu but mistakenly arrived in Port Allen, Kauai. He remained aboard the vessel at anchor for a few days before departing for Oahu on Dec 17.
The Coast Guard says the search area has expanded 200 miles north, 300 miles south and 400 miles west of Kauai and has covered approximately 178,000 square miles. Search crews plan to search through the night Wednesday.
We are using all available information to determine the sailboat's location, said Chief Petty Officer Michael Labine, Sector Honolulu command center supervisor. We have partnered with the Navy using both Coast Guard C-130 and Navy P-3 aircraft to search the large area where the sailboat may have drifted in the past week and hopefully reunite Mr. Foreman with his family.
Foreman s sailboat Arcturus is described as having a white hull, white sails, no name on the transom and four portholes on both sides of the cabin. Forman reportedly has a VHF radio, cell phone and a personal locator beacon aboard the vessel.
Anyone with any information is urged to contact Sector Honolulu at 808-842-2600.
