REPORT FROM THE U.S. COAST GUARD – HONOLULU – Coast Guard and Hawaii County Fire Department crews are continuing their search for a 15-year-old boy last seen with a hiking group at the Captain Cook monument in the vicinity of Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island, Thursday.
Coast Guard search assets include an aircrew piloting an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Barbers Point and the crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Ahi. Fire department crews are searching with a helicopter, rescue boat and divers. Good Samaritans have also joined the search with their personal boats.
The search area is located 11 miles from shore into the sea, encompassing 185 square miles.
Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Honolulu command center were notified of the situation by the Hawaii County Fire Department at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday.
The crew aboard the Ahi was launched at 6:30 p.m. An aircrew piloting a Dolphin was launched at 6 p.m. Fire department assets included a helicopter, rescue boat, and divers.
The initial report stated the Tyler Madoff was hiking with a group of people who stopped to rest in a tide pool. The reporting source stated a set of waves came up and swept Madoff into the sea.
The Coast Guard is continuing to work closely with its local partners with both surface and air assets. Recent agreements signed with the Hawaii County Fire Department have formalized search and rescue procedures to include communications and asset cooperation. The Dolphin was recently upgraded to include a new communications suite capable of communicating with other local, state and federal partners. This ability to integrate boats, cutters, and aircraft, combined with local knowledge, is designed to support local communities in times of crisis.
For more information contact Lt. Leigh Cotterell, the Sector Honolulu’s public affairs officer, at 808-292-3692.