Three Maritime Workers Rescued after Honolulu Fishing Boat Accident
Three fishermen in Hawaii were rescued after their boat overturned and sank.
The fishermen were three miles southeast of Hilo when their boat overturned. Soon after the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Honolulu Command Center received a distress signal from the Hawaii County Fire Department. One of the fishermen aboard a 19-foot boat used his cell phone to call for assistance as soon as the boat began to tip over. 
The Coast Guard mounted a search and rescue effort. By the time rescue teams arrived, the fishermen had drifted a few miles away from the point where the vessel capsized. All three men were clinging to a cooler in the water. The men were rescued by lowering a rescue basket into the water from an aircraft. They were transferred to a hospital where they received medical attention. None of the fishermen are believed to have been seriously injured.
Vessel Capsizing - Maritime Nightmare
Being on a vessel that capsizes or overturns is one of the worst situations for any maritime worker to be in. It is at such moments that the employer's responsibly to provide Coast Guard-approved personal flotation devices and the workers' training in using them effectively are tested. Wearing a life jacket aboard a fishing vessel may seem like the most sensible thing you could do, but you would be amazed at how often maritime lawyers come across cases where workers drowned because they were not wearing life jackets. Many workers insist that life jackets are cumbersome to work in, but failure to wear them can cost a Jones Act seaman his life.
Capsizing accidents at sea can often be attributed to poor weather and lack of crew member training. For instance, a vessel crew must be able to call for a return to shore if possible, in case weather conditions become too rough to carry on. A boat is very likely to overturn in stormy weather conditions and maritime workers should not be placed at risk.
