Missing 32-year-old man on boogie board rescued 1.5 miles offshore of Hapuna Beach

A group of five people went swimming on Monday evening at Hapuna Beach, a half-mile of white sand along the Kohala Coast of the Big Island, but they encountered difficult returning to shore due to high winds and strong offshore currents.

After struggling in the water for about 30 minutes, four people made it back to the beach uninjured. But a 32-year-old man with a boogie board continued to struggle and was last seen 50 to 100 yards off the beach on the south side.

The Hawaiʻi County Fire Department’s rescue team was called at 7:33 p.m., according to a news release.

A search was conducted with 19 first responders. At 11:05 p.m, personnel on the fire department’s rescue boat 7 heard a whistling sound in the dark and spotted the man clinging to the boogie board 1.5 miles offshore of Hapuna Beach, according to the fire department report.

The man, who was not identified, was assisted onto the rescue boat and taken to Kawaihae Harbor where EMS personnel were waiting. He was transported to North Hawaiʻi Community Hospital in stable condition.

Fourteen first responders, including a rescue swimmer on a paddleboard searched the last known location of the missing person as well as the surrounding area. A search group also scoured the shoreline on foot from Hapuna Beach south to Waialea Bay.

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter deployed a drift buoy and conducted an aerial grid search. The police department also used a drone to search for the man.

Rescue boat 7 searched the water, following the direction of the wind for three miles, and eventually found the man.