Two Sailors Saved Near Hawaii

Two Pearl Harbor Sailors were rescued by Coast Guard air units Sunday after their 21-foot Bayliner sank, leaving them treading water off the coast of Waianae for nearly 19 hours.

Hull Maintenance Technician 1st Class Martin Mantz, of Center (ND) and Hull Maintenance Technician 2nd Class Gary Chavez, of Portage (IN), both instructors from the Center for Naval Engineering Learning Site, Pearl Harbor, had set out for a day on the water. The two left Hickam Boat Harbor early Saturday morning but after a few hours, the men realized something was going wrong.

"I turned around to see which engine had quit and noticed that the back half of the boat was taking on water," said Mantz. "I knew things weren't good and about 10 seconds later, the boat just sank."

Coast Guard rescue watchstander Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin Acosta, from the command center at Coast Guard Sector Honolulu, received a call at 11:21 a.m. on VHF Channel 16 stating that a vessel was taking on water and sinking. Six minutes later, Acosta heard a mayday call, presumably from the same vessel, and attempted to establish communications but received negative results.

Crews from Air Station Barbers Point launched an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter, and the 110-foot patrol boat Washington was diverted from regular operations to search areas near Waianae and the south shore of Oahu.

At about 0740 Sunday morning, through a small window of a C-130 Hercules aircraft, flight mechanic Petty Officer 1st Class Danny Rees saw Chavez, wearing a life jacket and waving his arms.

"If it weren't for the bright orange life jacket, I don't know if I would have seen him at all," said Rees.

Nine miles southwest of Pokai Bay, rescue swimmer Petty Officer 1st Class Jason Schelin was lowered into the water and helped Chavez into a rescue basket.

"You could tell he had been struggling for a while," said Schelin. "His eyes were bloodshot from the salt water, and his hands and feet were pruned up.

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Chavez and Mantz were separated around sunset Oct. 23 when the tide changed, so Chavez gave his best guess as to where his friend may have drifted during the night. Another helicopter crew relieved them on scene, and Chavez was taken to Barbers Point, where an ambulance was waiting.

Within minutes of arriving at Barbers Point, the Coast Guard learned that Mantz had been rescued. The Good Samaritan fishing vessel, Nani G, found Mantz near the S-buoy, about 4.1-miles south of Pokai Bay. He was then taken to Waianae Boat Harbor, where an ambulance was waiting.

Both men were taken to Tripler Army Medical Center. Chavez was released later that afternoon, and Mantz was treated for exhaustion but also released that day.

Mantz and Chavez are grateful to the Coast Guard rescue crew and the Nani G for finding them.

"It was like a movie," said Chavez. "You never think in a million years it would happen to you, and I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy."

FMI: www.uscg.mil/d14