Photo: U.S. Coast Guard // AP
A 75-foot boat ran aground during high surf at a Hawaii beach this weekend. As seen in a dramatic video captured from shore, the vessel rode a powerful set of waves toward the shore, nearly tipping over in the process.
“They were coming in trying to beat this wave,” surf filmmaker Ramon Brockington told The Associated Press. “And the boat didn’t have enough power to get in front of this wave. So what happened was a wave ended up picking up the boat, and the captain basically lost all steering whatsoever.”
“The boat was surfing like a giant surfboard,” he added. “I’ve never seen a boat of that size and caliber being picked up like a toy and launched across the beach.”
According to KHON-2, the craft, named Discovery, was operating as a ferry for the submarine tour company Atlantis Submarines. However, Atlantis Adventures, which owns and operates Atlantis Submarines, told KHON-2 that there were no passengers aboard during the incident.
The reason for the accident remains under investigation. So far, there were no apparent mechanical failures before the vessel ran aground, as the AP reports.
Two jet ski operators from Honolulu Ocean Safety made contact with the boat and confirmed that the two people on board were uninjured. The crew members declined transfer off the vessel, instead opting to stay onboard until high tide.
“We are working closely with all government regulatory agencies to have the shuttle boat safely removed from where it was grounded, towed back to its pier location and thoroughly inspected before it is returned to service,” added Atlantis Adventures.
