KONA, Hawaii (KHON2) — The search continues for 42-year-old Jared Willeford of Kona, who was last seen launching his kayak from Keahou Bay around 8 a.m. on April 27.
Willeford’s family members told Hawaii County Fire Department crews that his truck and trailer were still located at the boat ramp.
“His kayak was discovered floating off Keauhou Bay approximately around 9:30 a.m.,” explained Jeff Silva, a local fisherman who has been assisting in the search. “Some OC1 paddlers paddled up to his kayak, and everybody knows Jared because he frequents the area.”
Officials said the kayak was spotted about 400 yards from shore.
Coast Guard Sector Honolulu command center watchstanders received the report at 10:09 a.m. from Hawaii County Fire Department dispatchers.
Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and coordinated the launch of a Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point HC-130 Hercules airplane crew and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew to aid in the search.
“Originally, the U.S. Coast Guard was informed he was wearing orange bibs, but we have since found the orange bibs on the yellow kayak,” explained USCG Petty Officer 3rd class public affairs specialist Jennifer Nilson.
Silva and others joined the search Sunday morning and were able to find Willeford’s dry bag drifting towards shore. He said divers searched the area for hours and conditions were ideal on Sunday.
“For something like this to happen, for how close he went missing, how close to shore his kayak was, it’s just all very odd,” Silva added. “I was blown away we couldn’t find him [Sunday]. It was a beautiful day, so many people were in that area it’s just doesn’t make sense how someone can go missing.”
Willeford is considered an expert kayak fisherman and waterman, and even survived a great white shark attack four years ago.
He is the second fisherman to go missing this month off Hawaii island.
“It’s crazy, the community is pretty broken,” Silva said. “These are local boys that grew up here, Oa Hind and Jared Willeford are beyond fisherman these guys are watermen, and they do this for a living. At the end of the day you want to get the families some type of answer.”
As of April 28, the Coast Guard said it will have searched 20 hours and over 2,000 nautical miles and can search during the night hours.
Silva says the community will keep searching too.
“They’re not giving up, they’re not giving up hope, and it just takes hope to bring these guys home so we’re gonna keep going with that,” he said.
The U.S. Coast Guard sector Honolulu, USCG Air Station Barbers Point, USCG Oliver Berry, and the Hawaii County Fire Department continue searching. The DLNR is the lead agency involved in the search.
Anyone with information that may assist in search efforts should contact the Coast Guard on VHF-FM channel 16 or call the Sector Honolulu command center at (808) 842-2600.