📍Lahaina, Maui Fires: An Update From Trilogy Excursions
As you may know, our beloved Lahaina Town on Maui has been struck by devastating wildfires — leaving thousands of families homeless and communities shattered. In the midst of this unbelievable tragedy, we have the power to make a difference and bring hope to our ‘Ohana who have lost everything.
The magnitude of this catastrophic event is deeply felt, touching the very heart of our community. As we navigate through these uncharted waters, our unwavering commitment remains steadfast – to extend a helping hand to those in need, to preserve employment opportunities, and to stand united as one resilient ‘ohana.
Waiola Church of of Prison St. in Lahaina — the burial grounds of Hawaiian Royalty and a very culturally significant location — was tragically lost in the Lahaina wildfires on 8/8/2023.
We want to provide you with an update on the current status of our business, the devastating situation in Lahaina, and how you can help our dedicated employees who have been working tirelessly to navigate through these challenging times.
Firstly, we want to praise God that all 168 of our Trilogy Ohana have been accounted for.
4:16pm on 8/8/2023 — An apocalyptic black cloud of smoke engulfs Lahaina Harbor.
Thanks to the heroic acts of our ‘Ohana, Captains, and crew, Captains Riley Coon, Denver Coon, Travis Dewater, Bobby Lechner, Kuki’i Falahee-Walker, Nick Shaw, and Crewmember Maurice Bajon were among the first responders with the Coast Guard on Tuesday night into day break Wednesday morning. They took Trilogy II in complete darkness from Ma’alaea Harbor over to Lahaina through extreme wind (gust upwards of 80mph), smoke, and heat to assist the coast guard with their life saving mission. They prepared the boat to become a triage and transport platform for fire survivors.
Around 4:30 pm on Tuesday afternoon, Capt. Gabe gave his truck to a family who couldn't get to their car and sent them to his home before he ran back to the enflamed docks. Miraculously, he managed to maneuver Trilogy V without GPS (only with a compass and gut instinct) out of flame-engulfed harbor and safely into Manele bay on the island of Lana'i.
Capt. Travis didn't think twice about jumping into the ocean to assist in helping an estimated 50 people who were had escaped into the ocean and were now trapped on Front Street between multiple active fires. Working along the coast guard, the idea was to try to get these people to safety. The challenge was the barrier reef about ¼ mile outside Lahaina and the boat couldn’t just pull up to the shore, so the idea of swimming people out to the boat was decided on, as a last case scenario The first 2 survivors to get swam out and transported to Trilogy were 2 children, a brother and sister (ages 8 /12?) who had no idea where their parents were. They were loved on by the trilogy team, cleaned up, and given water. Thank God their parents were both found live about 30-minutes later and there were reunited with them.
Trilogy III, Trilogy IV, and Trilogy VII were moored outside the harbor and besides being covered with heavy soot and singed from the flying embers and heat, they are now safe at Manele, Lanai. We sadly lost TVI along with the entire Lahaina harbor. Lahaina town is gone as we know it. By some stroke of luck, our office remains intact, although we did suffer the loss of all our transport vehicles.
Captain Travis on a soot covered catamaran after a night of search and rescue.
Current State:
We have 168 employees that don't know what their future holds. Where is the military, where is our government? So many of our friends have lost everything. The death toll will keep rising. It just happened so fast.
We are not waiting. We are just doing. We have been around the clock using our boats and resources to get supplies to Lahaina and transferring local refugees.
Next Steps:
Given the impact on Lahaina harbor, we will not be operating trips out of Lahaina for the foreseeable future.
We are committed to resuming trips out of Ma'alaea Harbor as soon as we can. It is important to us to be able to keep as many people employed as we can.
If you have reservations with us, we will cancel and refund all reservations as we know more. Please allow us time to perform the refunds. It is our desire and intent to resume operations as soon as possible. We know for certain that our Lahaina based tours will not be operating out of Lahaina for the foreseeable future. Our team is working diligently to adjust and adapt, and your support means the world to us. Please refrain from contacting us. If you need to reach us, please email info@sailtrilogy.com and we will eventually get back to you.
Hundreds of lives, homes, businesses, schools, churches, museums, warehouses, and so much more have been completely destroyed by raging wildfires.
How you can help:
Donate to the Trilogy Lahaina Fires Relief Fund:
So many of our crew and staff have been directly impacted by the fires, with many losing their homes. Your generous donations to our Trilogy Lahaina Fires Relief Fund on GoFundMe or Trilogy Maui Fire Fund through the Global Empowerment Mission will go a long way in assisting these individuals as they work to rebuild their lives. Your compassion and contributions will be a source of hope during this difficult time.
Vacation Rentals for Homeless Families:
If you're a snowbird or fortunate enough to have a vacation rental, consider extending a helping hand to homeless families in need of shelter. Your offer to provide a safe and comfortable space at a reasonable rent can offer these families a much-needed respite during these challenging circumstances. Your generosity will not only provide shelter but also contribute to the sense of community support that Lahaina is known for. If you have housing to offer to displaced families, please fill out this form.
To each and every one of you, our cherished Trilogy ‘ohana, we extend our heartfelt gratitude. Your enduring loyalty over the past 50 years has been the bedrock upon which our company has thrived. Through triumphs and tribulations alike, your presence and support have been our driving force. Together, we are not merely a company, but a resilient ‘ohana bound by a shared commitment to our community and our team.
In our journey, we find solace in our history. It was in the aftermath of a life-changing tragedy that Trilogy was born, and it is through our collective strength that we rise once more from the ashes. The spirit of our ohana has been tested before, and it is this very spirit that will guide us towards a brighter future.
From the depths of our hearts, thank you for being a beacon of hope, a source of strength, and an embodiment of the true essence of aloha. We look forward to forging ahead, together, into a future filled with promise and possibility. Thank you for being a part of the Trilogy family. Together, we will look ahead and continue creating unforgettable memories on the beautiful waters of Maui.
With our deepest appreciation and warmest aloha,
The Trilogy ‘Ohana
