The HH-65 routinely conducts hoists from grounded or sinking vessels, day or night. In the aftermath of Hurricane Iniki, Dolphin crews hoisted an elderly couple from their de-masted sailboat and located a fisherman clinging to a cooler after his vessel was sunk by the hurricane. In another spectacular event, a critically ill fisherman was hoisted from a merchant vessel in heavy seas, then kept alive by the helicopters rescue swimmer and a navy flight surgeon performing CPR en route back to Oahu. The Eastwood was carrying approximately 550 Chinese bound for the United States. In response the Coast Guard Cutter RUSH was quickly dispatched from Honolulu to the scene with a Barbers Point HH-65 deployed on deck.
Logistical support is provided throughout the district.
The air station assisted the district and played a critical role in assisting the State of Hawaii and the Department of Defense services with the model return of an area to its natural state by relocating 690,000 pounds of equipment and 174 personnel from Kure Island to Oahu. Air station crews flying water catchment and purification systems to such islands as Funafuti relieved water shortages and Marcus located nearly 2500 miles from Oahu. The HC-130 provided typhoon and hurricane relief supplies to islands including Chuuk, Samoa and Guam in addition to delivering over 468 tons of food and equipment to the people of Kuaui following Hurricane Iniki. With regard to Marine Environmental Protection, in November of 1990, air station crews helped to avert an environmental catastrophe when the merchant vessel Star Connecticut ran aground off Barbers Point. Taking on water and holding 10 million gallons of oil, the vessel was saved by the delivery of a dewatering pump and other equipment via an air station HH-65.