The U.S. Coast Guard and Navy rescued a distressed woman, her daughter and their pets, a cat and a tortoise from a sailboat that had been beset by weather about 925 miles off the coast of Hawaii.

Watchstanders at Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) Honolulu received a distress alert shortly after 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 24 from an emergency radio beacon roughly 925 miles east of Hawaii, according to a news release from the Coast Guard.

The watchstanders issued a SafetyNET broadcast which disseminates maritime safety information to all ships in the area, conducted a query of vessels and launched an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew to search for the stranded people in the sailboat.

The airplane crew spotted the 47-foot French-flagged vessel called Albroc and a 47-year-old woman aboard the boat issued a mayday call, explaining that herself, her seven-year-old daughter and their pets needed rescuing.

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The woman also said that there was a deceased man on the boat.

The Hercules crew was unable to establish direct communication with the woman but observed her lighting two distress flares and the sailboat drifting and taking waves over the beam, the Coast Guard said. 

Watchstanders requested assistance from the Navy’s Pacific Fleet and 3rd Fleet, which diverted the crew of USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer homeported in Pearl Harborto, the sailboat’s position. They also asked for assistance from the master of the Seri Emperor, a 754-foot Singapore-flagged liquid petroleum gas tanker that was about 290 miles south of the sailboat.

At 9 a.m. on Aug. 25, a Hercules crew arrived at the scene and observed a woman and girl waving their arms before retreating inside the cabin. The aircrew attempted to communicate with the two boaters by hailing them on the radio and dropping message blocks, but were unsuccessful.

The Coast Guard and Navy completed the rescue of a distressed woman, child and a cat and tortoise from a sailboat beset by weather offshore Hawaii. (U.S. Coast Guard District 14 Hawaii Pacific)

Later that day, at 5:20 p.m., the Seri Emperor arrived at the scene but was unable to rescue the boaters because of deteriorating weather conditions ahead of Hurricane Gilma, which was approaching the area. The tanker crew remained near the stranded sailboat until 5 a.m. on Aug. 26, when the William P. Lawrence arrived.

The William P. Lawrence had a six-hour window to safely conduct boat recovery operations, according to the Coast Guard, noting seas greater than 25 feet forecast within 12 hours of their position and the damaged condition of the sailboat.

“I am extremely proud of the crew’s professionalism in planning and executing the safe recovery of two persons at sea on a disabled vessel in worsening conditions,” said U.S. Navy Cmdr. Bobby Wayland, commanding officer of William P. Lawrence. “My boat crew – in particular the coxswain – demonstrated deft boat handling and good judgement in approaching the distressed vessel and transferring the survivors. I also appreciate the remarkable coordination and information provided by the USCG throughout the entire operation – very cool to see the Navy / Coast Guard team work together so smoothly.” 

A small boat crew from the Navy ship launched and rescued the woman, girl and their pets from the sailboat. But because of weather conditions on the scene at the time of the rescue, there were eight to 10-foot seas and 15 mph winds, the deceased man could not be safely recovered.

“While saddened by the loss of the sailing vessel’s master, I couldn’t be prouder of the combined efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy who saved the lives of two other passengers,” said Vice Adm. John Wade, commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet. “I’m particularly grateful for the professionalism exhibited by the crew of USS William P. Lawrence who executed the rescue flawlessly under extremely dangerous conditions.”

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A small boat crew from a Navy ship rescued a woman, a girl and their pets from a sailboat beset by weather offshore Hawaii. (U.S. Coast Guard District 14 Hawaii Pacific)

At 5 p.m. on Aug. 28, the William P. Lawrence moored at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu, where representatives from the Coast Guard and the Honorary Consul of France in Hawaii received and provided care for the survivors.

“Through tireless planning, coordination and teamwork, our watchstanders pieced together the key elements needed for such a dynamic search and rescue case,” said Kevin Cooper, search and rescue mission coordinator, JRCC Honolulu. “The use of an EPIRB was also crucial and allowed our aircrews and partners to pinpoint the sailboat’s location. We are grateful the crews of the Seri Emperor and William P. Lawrence were able to reach the mother and daughter, who were caught right in the path of Hurricane Gilma.”

The sailboat remains adrift about 1,000 miles east of Honolulu, the Coast Guard said.

SAN FRANCISCO – A stunning glow-up of the San Francisco skyline and Bay Bridge drew photographers of all skill levels and those looking to snap a social media moment to gather along California Street at sunrise on Monday.  

The biennial phenomenon known as the “California Henge,” offered a view of the sun over the bridge as it perfectly aligned with San Francisco’s California Street cityscape. The event happens only twice a year. The last time the “California Henge” occurred was in April, around the total solar eclipse, as reported by the San Francisco Bay Times and photographer Stu Berman.

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According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, astronomers say these “henge” events are created by the sun’s path aligning with city streets. They typically take place at sunrise or sunset. Similar occurrences happen in Manhattan and Boston.

In San Francisco, large groups of photographers were seen set up along California and Gough streets to catch a glimpse of the rare event at sunrise on Monday.

“This phenomenon is HIGHLY location specific of California Street,” explained Rick Baldridge a local amateur astronomer who also works as a telescope operator at UC’s Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton in the South Bay.

Baldridge was among the photographers who gathered to catch the henge. He said more than 20 photographers set up their equipment along California to capture the solar event.    

Photographers gathered along California Street in San Francisco on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024 for the biannual phenomenon known as “California Henge.”  (Rick Baldridge)

How to best capture the California Henge

Bay Area photographer Pankaj Bhargava, who has documented previous celestial events of this kind, including last April’s henge, also advised that spectators can get the best and clearest view by gathering around California Street. 

He suggested photographers shoot from various intersections along California Street, keeping in mind how prominent they want the sun to appear in relation to the Bay Bridge. Experienced photographers understand the challenge of capturing the sun, and Bhargava recommended using a neutral density filter or another technique to reduce the sun’s brightness.

Monday’s henge resulted in awe-inspiring images, but if you missed it, you may get a chance to catch the rare phenomenon again on Tuesday.  

“I suspect tomorrow will be a bit of a zoo out there,” Baldridge said. “As expected, the sun was a bit higher today over the Bridge column than it will be tomorrow… Alignment should be very good tomorrow morning.”

On Tuesday, sunrise in San Francisco is set for 6:42 a.m. 

“California Henge” captured the alignment of the sun over the Bay Bridge on Monday, Sept. 2. 2024. (Rick Baldridge)

Photographers gathered on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024 in San Francisco for the biannual phenomenon known as “California Henge.”  (Rick Baldridge)