2 months after it grounded off Waikiki, big fishing boat finally removed

WAIKIKI (HawaiiNewsNow) - After two months stuck on the reef off Waikiki, a commercial fishing boat was finally removed on Thursday.

With the right ocean conditions, crews successfully managed to tow the Pacific Paradise from Kaimana Beach.

This comes after numerous attempts to remove the boat that's been stuck since Oct. 10.

On Wednesday, crews had to suspend efforts to pull the Pacific Paradise out to sea after it got stuck on a sandbar as the tide started to drop.

The 79-foot longline fishing vessel ran aground off Kaimana Beach when it was returning to its Honolulu home port from American Samoa with 20 people on board.

An investigation into what caused the accident is ongoing, and officials say it will ramp up considerably once their recovery response is complete.

The U.S. Coast Guard used a private vessel to gently rock and lift the Pacific Paradise back and forth off the coral reef it has been stuck on. Once they freed it, they attached it to a tug boat to tow it out 13 miles offshore to an EPA-approved site.

Environmental concerns have been raised after hundreds of fishing hooks were discovered in the water and about 100 gallons of diesel fuel were spilled into the ocean. A full assessment of the area has been ordered and will reportedly be completed soon.

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