A California man has been rescued alive after spending 30 days stranded at sea in his sailboat off Hawaii. Kai Sato, 39, had set sail from California’s Catalina Islands on June 7, aiming to complete his first solo sail across the Pacific Ocean.
His journey took a disastrous turn when his mast snapped, and the phone he was using for navigation died. Sato told Hawaii News Now that he initially tried to motor back to shore but ran out of gas, leaving him drifting south.
After several days, Sato began attempting to repair his boat using PVC pipes and kayak paddles. He also ran out of drinking water after about 20 days adrift, resorting to using a plastic bag to collect condensation to drink. He mainly ate oatmeal and fish and squid that landed on his boat.
Sato eventually reached the shipping lane between California and Hawaii, where his boat was spotted on Tuesday, July 21, by the crew of the M/V George III containership. The Seafarers International Union stated that watch standers onboard the vessel spotted a small sailboat in distress approximately 900 miles from Hawaii.
The rescue operation took around an hour and a half, with the crew assisting Sato in boarding the George III. Sato is now staying with a relative and is reportedly planning another sail to the Philippines in a larger boat.