Missing Kauai Sailor Turns Up Safe on Big island

In a very bizarre twist, a missing Kauai sailor who had gone missing last week after leaving Kauai headed for Oahu has turned up safe on the Big Island (Hawaii).

Just a couple of days after the Coast Guard suspended its search for the sailor, 66-year-old Ira Foreman of Seattle, Wash. — arrived at Honokohau Harbor on Hawaii island — two weeks late and nearly 100 miles off course but alive.

So, how does the coast guard put together a search that includes a massive four-day search for Foreman covering some 209,000 square miles and involved a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter, a HC-130 Hercules airplane, and two Navy P-3 Orion planes and come up with nothing? Interesting.

Here is how the current story is playing out. Foreman left Port Allen, Kauai, on the morning of Dec. 17 but failed to arrive at Keehi Lagoon as scheduled the next day. He was reported missing a week later.

Search and rescue officials at Coast Guard Sector Honolulu received word Saturday from Foreman’s ex-wife that Foreman had contacted her via cell phone, telling her that he had been blown off course by strong winds but was never in any distress.

Officials were able to triangulate Foreman’s location based on his call and an aircrew from an HC-130 Hercules plane from Barbers Point Air Station was able to spot a vessel matching the description of Foreman’s 36-foot sailboard shortly after midnight. The crew, however, was not able to establish communication with the vessel.

The Coast Guard made contact with Foreman on his mobile phone around 8 a.m. Sunday and Foreman reported his location as 20 miles west of Kealekekua. He arrived at Honokohau Harbor around 3 p.m.

“We are eager to meet with Mr. Foreman to find some answers about this very challenging case,” said Capt. Joanna Nunan, commander of Sector Honolulu, in a Coast Guard news release.

As of right now, the Coast Guard has not taken a statement or story from Foreman. I will say this, there seems to be more here than what is being told.

It should be interesting to see how this plays out, however, as of right now, Foreman is alive and well.