A 20-foot sport fishing boat struck a submerged object off Molokini Crater before dawn Tuesday, injuring two Maui men and leaving one of them stranded on the eastern tip of the islet until rescuers could pull him off. The man believed to be in his 50s suffered leg injuries, while the second man, believed to be in his 70s, suffered torso injuries.
The incident was reported at 5:13 a.m., according to Maui Now. Firefighters aboard Rescue Boat 10 arrived to find one of the men still aboard the damaged vessel, which was determined to be still operable, while the second man had somehow ended up on the eastern tip of Molokini Islet itself. Firefighters transferred the man from the boat to Rescue Boat 10, then retrieved the second boater from the islet before placing him aboard the rescue craft as well.
Both men were transferred to emergency medical services personnel and received medical care en route to Kīhei Boat Ramp, per the same account, before EMS crews transported them to Maui Memorial Medical Center. Responding units included Ladder 14 and Rescue 10 personnel aboard Rescue Boat 10, and crews concluded the response at 8:02 a.m.
Why Kīhei Boat Ramp Became the Transfer Point
Molokini is accessible only by water, sitting in open-channel waters roughly 2.5 to 3 miles off South Maui, with Kīhei Boat Ramp serving as a launch point for some rafts, according to The Hale Pau Hana. The ramp was used as the transfer point for the injured men.
Rescue Boat 10 is a 26-foot Radon vessel named Keauloa, according to the Firefighting Wiki. The same boat and crew were part of a multi-day search off Molokini in September 2021, when Maui Fire Department personnel partnered with the U.S. Coast Guard after a 67-year-old California woman vanished while snorkeling near the crater, as reported by Maui Now.
A Protected Islet Where Landing Is Normally Illegal
Molokini Islet is designated a Hawaii State Seabird Sanctuary, and entry onto the islet is prohibited, according to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. The man's presence on the islet's eastern tip was a detail in the rescue call.
The waters surrounding the crater also fall under stricter fishing rules. The Molokini Shoal Marine Life Conservation District includes Subzone A inside the crater and Subzone B extending 100 yards seaward; trolling for finfish by hook-and-line is permitted in Subzone B, per the Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Underwater Hazards Near the Crater Rim
The terrain beneath the surface near Molokini shifts dramatically, ranging from shallow reef ledges under 30 feet within the cove to a submerged volcanic ridge known as Reef's End extending off Lalilali Point, with sheer outer walls dropping more than 250 feet, according to the Department of Land and Natural Resources. It remains unclear what specifically the vessel struck, and whether the object was floating debris, a rock outcrop, or a reef ledge has not been determined.
Hawaii regulations also hold boat operators financially and legally liable if their vessels strike or damage protected coral reef structures, according to the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Separately, the Legal Information Institute lists HAR Section 13-242-4.
Nationally, vessel collisions with fixed objects and other boats accounted for over half of all reported recreational boating accidents in 2024, resulting in 112 deaths and 903 injuries, according to the U.S. Coast Guard's 2024 Recreational Boating Statistics report released last year. In Hawaii specifically, the Coast Guard recorded 12 reportable recreational boating accidents and one fatality that same year.
