HONOLULU – Coast Guard and Hawaii County Fire Department crews are searching for a 15-year-old boy who was swept into the water while hiking along the shoreline near the Captain Cook monument in the vicinity of Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island, Wednesday.
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.
The crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Ahi was launched at 6:30 p.m. An aircrew piloting an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point was launched at 6 p.m. Fire department assets include a helicopter, rescue boat, and divers.
The initial report stated the teenager 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 the 15-year-old into the sea.
The search area is located from the shoreline to a point five miles out to sea. The Coast Guard was scheduled to continue the search throughout the night. The fire department planned to return at first light with a helicopter, rescue boat and dive teams.
