Kai Sato, 39, was rescued alive after spending 30 days stranded at sea when his sailboat's mast snapped and his navigation phone died. He set sail from California's Catalina Islands on 7 June, hoping to complete his first solo sail across the Pacific Ocean, he told Hawaii News Now.
Struggle for survival
After the mast broke, Sato said he cried for a whole week, drifting south, and felt hopeless. He initially tried to motor back to shore but ran out of gas. "I was literally like a sitting duck, just getting taken south by the current going way off course," he added.
After several days, Sato jerry-rigged sails using PVC pipes and kayak paddles to repair his boat. About 20 days adrift, he ran out of drinking water and began using a plastic bag to create condensation. "I was just licking that to survive," he said. He ate mainly oatmeal and fish and squid that landed on his boat.
Rescue at sea
It took Sato a month to reach the shipping lane between California and Hawaii. On Tuesday, his boat was spotted by watch standers aboard the M/V George III, a containership. The Seafarers International Union issued a statement detailing the rescue: on 21 July, the crew spotted a small sailboat in distress approximately 900 miles from Hawaii.
All hands prepared the engines for maneuvering and rigged the pilot ladder, life rings, and messenger lines. Once close, they shot a line-throwing device to Sato, who pulled the attached line and made it fast to his boat's stern. The crew then pulled the sailboat stern-to the pilot ladder, allowing Sato to step off and climb aboard. The rescue took about an hour and a half.
Aftermath
Sato expressed his thanks and gratitude to the entire crew of the George III. According to Hawaii News Now, he is now staying with a relative and already planning another sail, this time to the Philippines in a larger boat.
