Police renew request for info about fisherman who disappeared 7 months ago

A 42-year-old Big Island fisherman disappeared 7 months ago and Hawai‘i Island police are no closer to finding him now than in April.

Despite extensive search efforts by several first responder agencies including Hawai‘i Fire Department and U.S. Coast Guard along with numerous volunteers, the whereabouts of 42-year-old Earl Kekuanaoa Hind and his 21-foot vessel Makalapua Onalani — more importantly their health and well-being — remain a mystery.

So Hawai‘i Police Department again is reaching out the community and public at large to ask for help, requesting any information that could help find him.

Hind was last known to have launched Makalapua Onalani on April 7 from the South Point area. The local fisherman and his boat were last seen 2 days later at about noon April 9 in waters offshore near Miloli‘i, heading north.

His truck and boat trailer were located parked near the South Point boat ramp area.

Hind is 6 feet tall, 180 pounds, Hawaiian, with brown hair and hazel eyes.

Makalapua Onalani is a 21-foot Force vessel with a 2-foot extension and powered by twin outboard motors, featuring a white hull and light blue cabin.

The 42-year-old is known to fish in waters off South Point and the South Kona area.

Anyone with information about Hind’s whereabouts or the location of his vessel is urged to contact Hawai‘i Police Department via its non-emergency number at 808-935-3311.

They can also contact Area II Criminal Investigation Section Detective Donovan Kohara at 808-960-3118 or via email at Donovan.Kohara@hawaiicounty.gov.

U.S. Coast Guard asks that if either Hind or his vessel is found at sea that the information be reported immediately to U.S. Coast Guard Command Center at 808-842-2600.