Overboard In Pacific: British Man Missing at Sea, Hawaii U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Inexperienced Sailor

There was trouble on the open seas this weekend, but this time it wasn’t a cruise ship. A British man was reported missing Sunday after falling overboard in a remote area of the Pacific Ocean in Hawaii, and his whereabouts are still unknown.

The man, whose identity remains unknown, has reportedly spent more than 15 hours at sea after falling from a 38-foot boat 2,000 miles from Oahu, according to a U.S. Coast Guard statement released Sunday. Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer Eric J. Chandler said the 35-year-old male was last seen conscious and wearing a yellow life jacket.

The man’s shipmate reported the man missing at 11:30 p.m. Saturday and told Marine Rescue Coordination Center officials in Falmouth, UK, that he wasn’t an experienced sailor and needed assistance.

Due to strong North Pacific winds reported peaking at 25 mp, and a 6-foot-high waves, the coast guard utilized U.S. Navy services to locate the individual using the USS Peleliu ship and two aircrafts, one of which located the boat and the male who reported the incident. The overboard male’s location has yet to be found.

“It’s real challenging out there. We can’t get our cutters out there,” Chandler told AP, saying boats lost in that section of the Pacific is not surprising.

“People sail pretty often pretty far out of reach. I don’t think it’s that unusual,” he said.

The purpose of the two men's voyage is unclear, according to authorities.