Sailor vanishes going from California to Hawaii — but shows up weeks late, officials say
A sailor who went missing after departing from California weeks ago has made it safely to his Hawaii destination, officials say.
Noel Rubio, 60, left from Long Beach on Dec. 28 on his sailboat the Malulani with the intent of arriving at Kaneohe, O’ahu, on Jan. 18, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a Feb. 5 news release.
Rescuers said they began to look for Rubio and his 32-foot Westsail sloop on Friday, Feb. 2, after learning he didn’t make it to his destination.
Rubio last spoke with a friend, telling them he was headed to Hawaii, on a cellphone south of Catalina Island on the day of his departure, rescuers said.
On the sailboat, “a VHF-FM marine band radio” is the only means to communicate with Rubio, according to rescuers.
To find Rubio, rescuers said they used multiple means to determine his location, which included “urgent marine information broadcasts,” as well as “harbor checks in California, Hawaii, and Mexico.”
Rubio, however, arrived in Hawaii on the Malulani on Saturday, Feb. 3, rescuers said.
Rubio’s wife called the Coast Guard and said she spoke with him when he was near Hawaii, Coast Guard spokesperson Matt Masaschi told SF Gate.
Rubio’s delay was caused by “slower transit time than anticipated,” Masaschi told the outlet.
This story was originally published February 6, 2024 at 9:53 AM with the headline "Sailor vanishes going from California to Hawaii — but shows up weeks late, officials say."
