WAILUA — The search for a 50-year-old man from Lihue continues by land, air and sea after he was last seen in the water off Nukolii Beach on Saturday.
WAILUA — The search for a 50-year-old man from Lihue continues by land, air and sea after he was last seen in the water off Nukolii Beach on Saturday.
First responders with the Kauai Police Department (KPD), the Kauai Fire Department (KFD), the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), along with the on-duty KFD battalion chief were searching for the missing man.
It was reported that KFD responded to a 911 emergency call of a missing snorkeler at Nukolii Beach on Saturday at approximately 6:40 p.m. Witnesses reported the man was about 100 yards offshore when he was separated from his party and went missing.
KFD Rescue 3 onboard Air 1 were deployed and searched for the missing man until dusk, with the search then cleared a little before midnight on Saturday, while USGS personnel continued the search until about 1:30 a.m. on Sunday.
In the early hours of Sunday, Aug. 25 first responders picked the search back up and continued to scour the water and coastline of Nukoli‘i Beach.
Due to weather conditions, Air 1 was not deployed on Sunday.
On Monday, Aug. 26 the victim was identified as 50-year-old Gary Gushiken of Lihue. However, the search is still ongoing.
Volunteers with Life’s Bridges, along with grief counseling services, have been contacted to assist the man’s family during this difficult time.
Updates on the search will be given as information becomes available. Anyone with information regarding the missing man is encouraged to call KPD Dispatch at 808-24-1711. Individuals wishing to remain anonymous can call CrimeStoppers Kaua‘i at 808-246-8300.
