Crews rescue pair
off Waianae

The two off-duty Navy men,
28 and 36, are found in OK
shape after their boat sinks

In their own version of the movie "Open Water," two off-duty Navy men spent more than 20 hours floating off the Waianae Coast after their 21-foot boat sank on Saturday.

And their life vests might have had a lot to do with their survival, Coast Guard officials said.

One of the men was found by the Coast Guard, and the other was picked up by another boater shortly after the first rescue.

Both men -- ages 28 and 36 -- were taken to Tripler Army Medical Center after their rescue, and both were reported to be OK but tired from their ordeal.

The 28-year-old man was spotted in the water around 7:40 a.m. yesterday about nine miles off the coast of Waianae by a Coast Guard search plane.

"I noticed his life vest, right off the bat, which was a bright orange color," Michael Heazlit told KITV. "I do believe that's what made it all possible for me to see him. I saw him waving his arms above his head in distress."

Rescue swimmer Jason Schelin told KITV that the man "looked like he had been in the water for 20 hours. His hands and feet were pruned up, and his eyes were kind of bloodshot from the salt water. No injuries, really, just exposure to the elements," Schelin said.

The 36-year-old man was rescued a short time later near the S-buoy located about four miles south of Pokai Bay by a man aboard a vessel called the Nani G., and taken to the Waianae Boat Harbor.

Coast Guard spokeswoman Petty Officer 2nd Class Jennifer Johnson said they received a distress call from the men, who were still on board their boat, at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

Johnson said the men, who are stationed on Oahu, reported their boat was "taking on water." The origin of the leak is unknown.

Johnson said the men then made a mayday call to the Coast Guard.

The men had left Hickam Boat Harbor sometime Saturday morning for the Waianae Coast and were expected to return at 6 p.m. that same day. A person expecting to meet the men at Hickam called the Coast Guard to report their boat overdue.

Johnson said the boat sank around noon Saturday.