U.S. Coast Guard replaces inoperable navigation light on Lehua Island

Faced with challenging wind conditions and severe updrafts, the U.S. Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew replaced a solar-powered LED lantern used as a navigation aid on Lehua Island, a remote seabird sanctuary located 18 miles west of Kaua‘i.

On Friday, the Coast Guard, with a member assigned to Aids to Navigation Team Honolulu, hoisted an outdated and inoperable aid via helicopter and replaced it. After installing the new upgraded Carmanah light, the two members were hoisted back aboard and flown back to O‘ahu.

“Operations like these are vital to ensuring the safety of mariners navigating the waters around the Hawaiian Islands,” Coast Guard officials stated, adding it reinforces the agency’s commitment to maritime safety.

Aids to Navigation Team Honolulu covers over 90 aids across the Hawaiian Islands. Aids vary from lighthouses to buoys to fixed lights.