5 men swim to Maui shore as boat sinks

OLOWALU, Maui » Five men are safe after a whale-watching trip ended with their 27-foot recreational boat sinking off Maui on Sunday.

The men swam about 100 yards to shore at Olowalu. One of the men aboard the Seawren III, Ron Callaway, said no one saw a hole in the boat, and added there is no good explanation as to why it sank.

Boat owner Chester Dilley said he and others sailed out of Lahaina for a day of whale watching, and they were returning from the back side of Lanai when they noticed water was streaming over the deck planks.

Dilley said they jumped into the ocean and swam for shore when the water came in faster than they could bail.

Identity of body found in charred car pending

Police detectives are investigating the death of a person whose charred body was found inside a rental car that plunged off a cliff Saturday above Yokohama Bay.

The body inside the 2009 Nissan sedan was burned beyond recognition, police said.

The Medical Examiner's Office was working yesterday to identify the body.

Police traffic Vehicular Homicide Section responded to the crash Saturday.

Lt. David Nilsen of the Vehicular Homicide Section said the car went off the cliff through a small gap in the guardrail.

He said it is possible that it was an accident, but “;a lot of things would have to fall in place to not hit the guardrail.”;

Police have the name of the person who rented the Nissan, and that person might be the one whose body was found inside, Nilsen said.

Nilsen declined to reveal any information concerning the person who rented the car.

28 on fishing vessel abandon ship after fire

The Coast Guard said yesterday the 28 crew members of a fishing vessel that caught fire 900 miles southwest of Honolulu abandoned ship and were in two life rafts.

A Coast Guard search aircraft located the rafts yesterday after the fire aboard the Taiwanese-flagged Hou Chun 11 was reported by the Rescue Coordination Center in Taiwan. Officials say the vessel remains afloat.

The Coast Guard cutter Alex Haley is due to arrive on scene, north of Kingman Reef, this morning. The Hou Chun 11's sister ship, Shin Shun, is also en route.

The Coast Guard says no injuries have been reported, and the cause of the fire is unknown.

A Navy P-3 Orion patrol plane was due to relieve the search aircraft last night and stay until a second Coast Guard flight arrived.

Body of man found in parked car is ID'd

The Medical Examiner's Office has identified the body found in a parked car at Pearl Harbor as Jeffrey Ward, 48.

No current address for Ward was available.

The cause of death remains under investigation.

Ward's body was found last Tuesday in a parked car near Utah Hall on Naval Station Pearl Harbor.

Homeless man charged in alleged sex assault

Authorities charged a 45-year-old homeless man Sunday in an alleged sexual assault on his wife.

Bobby Hernandez was charged with first-degree sexual assault for allegedly sexually assaulting his 47-year-old wife at 11 p.m. Jan. 27 in the area of Keeaumoku Street.

Police arrested Hernandez early Saturday morning in Chinatown on suspicion of abuse and first-degree sexual assault.

He is being held on $50,000 bail.

Woman allegedly breaks relative's arm

A 28-year-old Aiea woman was arrested after she allegedly broke a 9-year-old girl's left arm.

The assault occurred at 3 p.m. Friday. The suspect and victim are family members.

Police arrested the woman Sunday on suspicion of second-degree assault. She was released pending further investigation.

Motorcyclist dies after careening off highway

A 54-year-old man was killed after he lost control of his motorcycle yesterday afternoon on Highway 180, just north of Hualalai Road in Holualoa on the Big Island.

Hawaii County fire rescue personnel found the man in a coffee field about 20 feet down an embankment off Highway 180.