No sign of drowning victim Friday as rescuers suspend aerial search

KALAPAKI — Rescuers suspended the aerial search Friday afternoon for the body of Scott Akina, a 55-year-old Kilauea man who was reported missing Tuesday night.

Akina is believed to have drowned in the vicinity of Ninini Beach, where he was believed to be swimming at the time of his disappearance.

Strong winds and choppy surf created challenges throughout the week.

Personnel from the Kaua‘i Fire Department, the Kaua‘i Police Department, the Ocean Safety Bureau, the state Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement and the U.S. Coast Guard launched a land and sea-based search for three consecutive days.

Kaua‘i police, Ocean Safety lifeguards, and KFD rescue specialists plan to continue its shoreline search through this morning, focusing on the area surrounding Kalapaki Bay and Nawiliwili Harbor.

Support from Air 1, DOCARE and the U.S. Coast Guard will be provided on an as-needed basis.

“We are very thankful for the support and dedication of our partnering agencies during this unified mission,” states Kaua‘i Police Chief Darryl Perry. “The extensive ground covered over the course of the past three days would not have been possible without the assets and personnel that each agency provided. While we remain hopeful that we can locate and recover the victim’s body, we have decided to suspend the aerial search today and instead focus our efforts on a shoreline search in and around the harbor (today).”