Maui firefighters rescued a 46-year-old man who had been windsurfing with friends in South Maui Tuesday, but was unable to return to shore because of a broken mast. 

The search was initiated at 4:42 p.m. near Waipuilani Park near the Maui Sunset condominium on West Waipuilani Road by the man’s friend who last saw him around 2 p.m. 

The fire department’s Air 1 helicopter and rescue watercraft  launched to assist in the search. 

A Kahului rescue crew aboard Air 1 spotted the windsurfer hanging onto his board about a quarter-mile offshore of the Maui Sunset, and airlifted him to a landing zone near the park’s parking lot. 

The man did not require medical attention. Firefighters on a rescue watercraft retrieved the man’s windsurfing gear and brought it back to shore.