Second Suspicious Diver in Harbor
Dateline: February 29, 2004 - Angela Keen
(KGMB) Keehi Lagoon : For a second time in a week, a suspicious diver in Honolulu Harbor triggered a Homeland Security Alert. We talked to some of the people who were in the middle of it all.
People who live on boats in and around Keehi Lagoon and La Mariana Sailboat Club saw quite a commotion last Saturday night around 10:30pm. They say they saw Coast Guard choppers hovering extremely low, looking for something or someone.
"We saw the Coast Guard chopper just breeze the top of the masts and the top of the posts. They were really low and there were double search lights going on and they were looking in the water,” La Mariana resident Mike Nakamura said.
Tim McRobert explained, "It woke me up but no it didn't bother me.” McRobert was around when the Coast Guard searched 4 days ago after a report of an unauthorized diver near a Coast Guard Cutter. McRobert said, "And then during all that time the coast guard helicopters just went back and forth and that lasted for about 2 and a half hours and then they just left.”
He said they even searched his neighbor's boat but owner Nakamoto said he doesn't have diving equipment. "They were looking for a diver I have no diving equipment I don't have a padi license either so,” Nakamoto said.
Nakamoto said one of his neighbors spotted the mysterious diver but search crews couldn't find him. He added, "From what we hear the diver actually hid under the grey-masted boat. And a lady saw him and the guy kept waving his hand cause he was hanging on to the mooring ball.”
People who live in the La Mariana pier are glad the Coast Guard is being diligent and they welcome the extra security. "Honolulu Police will come out but they don't have any jurisdiction so nobody is policing the area,” McRobert said. “So there's a lot of ice dealing, ice using, and even making it on the boats.”
The Coast Guard isn't talking about the situation just yet, that's because it involves Homeland Security. However, authorities are encouraging mariners to report any suspicious activity in and around the ports and waterways.