LUMAHA‘I — Rescue crews continued the search Monday for the swimmer who went lacking off Lumaha‘i Seaside this weekend.
As of 5 p.m. Monday, there was no signal of the swimmer, recognized by the Kaua‘i Police Division as 25-year-old New Jersey resident Matthew Preziose.
Rescue crews have been dispatched shortly after 1 p.m. on Saturday in response to a report of two swimmers in misery about 200 yards offshore from Lumaha‘i Seaside. One made it safely to shore, however Preziose remained within the water.
“There was an try from native surfers to help, however, sadly, they weren’t in a position to due to the ocean state that day,” mentioned Kaua‘i U.S. Coast Guard Station Chief Petty Officer Timothy Elhajj. “By the point they bought on the market (Preziose) went sub-surface and seemed to be unconscious.”
Elhajj reported that there have been 5-to-9-foot swells on the North Shore seaside Saturday.
“The seaside break was actually, actually tough that day,” he mentioned, including that Lumaha‘i is commonly harmful within the wintertime with riptides and large waves.
Search efforts started shortly thereafter, and continued by way of the evening on each Saturday and Sunday, resuming in pressure Monday morning.
The rescue social gathering consists of the crew of the USCG Cutter Oliver Berry, Station Kaua‘i 45-foot response boat crew, Air Station Barbers Level MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crews, Kaua‘i Fireplace Division Air 1 helicopter, KFD Ocean Security Bureau private watercraft operators, KFD floor crews, Kaua‘i Police Division officers and state Division of Land and Pure Sources responders.
At 2 p.m. Monday, Lumaha‘i used to be underneath calmer ocean circumstances. Rescue helicopters remained within the air and a private watercraft crew was departing from the seaside, whereas a crew of firefighters, USCG and police personnel monitored from the shore.
The search efforts are nonetheless centered on the Lumaha‘i Seaside space, USCG mentioned.
A time-frame for the way lengthy the search would final had not been established as of this writing.
“It’s nonetheless an lively search-and-rescue case,” mentioned USCG Lt. Cmdr. Meagan Bowis. “So we’re going to proceed looking with our property, together with our companions.”
This 12 months has already seen a number of ocean rescues, together with a Feb. 24 rescue of a distressed swimmer at Larsen’s Seaside (Ka‘aka‘aniu) in Moloa‘a. The swimmer, a customer from Massachusetts, made it safely to shore.
“It’s widespread all through the Hawaiian Islands,” mentioned Bowis. “You do see plenty of beachgoers who get in hassle.”
USCG suggested swimmers to have a plan in place and let folks know when they’re going to return.
“In the event you’re unsure if it’s secure, go to the lifeguard and ask them questions,” mentioned Bowis.
Preziose is 5 toes 11 inches tall and described by the USGC as carrying dark-blue shorts, no shirt and three gold chains.
Waterway customers are requested to maintain lookout for indicators of misery.
Anybody with info can contact the USCG Sector Honolulu Command Middle at 808-842-2600 or KPD dispatch at 808-241-1711.
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Guthrie Scrimgeour, reporter, might be reached at 647-0329 or gscrimgeour@thegardenisland.com.