LA'IE — Darkness was close to curtailing Day 3 of the search for a 71-year-old man yesterday when a college professor found the proverbial needle in a haystack, locating the Alzheimer's sufferer in high brush in the middle of no-man's land.

The happy ending that 71-year-old Tevita "David" Mohetau was alive brought a collective sigh of relief and joy to this close-knit community and to nearly 50 police, fire and volunteer searchers who had combed the area for three days.

Troy Smith, a Brigham Young University-Hawai'i professor, found Mohetau in the middle of 6-foot-high brush on overgrown agriculture land on the Kane'ohe side of the Polynesian Cultural Center about 6:30 p.m., said Bobby Chang, a Honolulu fire captain stationed in Kahuku who was coordinating a search effort for Mohetau on his own time.

"It was hard not to choke up when (Smith) ran up and told us," Chang said. "If he hadn't found him, probably no one would have found him. I've been with the Fire Department 30 years and I can tell you this doesn't happen too often."

Mohetau was exhausted but otherwise in good condition, Chang said. Mohetau was taken to Kahuku Hospital for observation, Chang said.

Mohetau wandered away Saturday night from the La'ie Inn, where he and his wife, Janice, had been staying. He was last seen behind the McDonald's restaurant next door.

Sela Rillamas, one of Mohetau's two children, greeted her father with a hug when he was brought to his Iosepa Street home last night.

"Daddy, I'm so happy you're home," Rillamas said, to which her father replied, "Thank you to everyone, I've been missing."

"He was weak and couldn't walk but coherent," Chang said. "He literally walked and pushed through the grass until he couldn't go anymore."

People held an impromptu celebration in front of Mohetau's home. Among the large group was Ofeina "Dempsey" Unga, a Honolulu police Windward District Crime Reduction Unit officer who helped Chang and Philip Camero of HPD's missing persons detail organize the searches.

"I was really worried that this search would end up being a recovery, not rescue, so it's a good feeling to know he's alive because, for me, this one was real personal," Unga said, explaining that Mohetau was like "an uncle to me."

Mohetau and Pita Unga, the officer's late father, were among the first group of missionary laborers brought to Hawai'i from Tonga in the early 1960s by the Mormon church to build Church College of Hawaii, now known as BYUH, and the Polynesian Cultural Center, Officer Unga said.

"He baby-sat me, and our families are close," Unga added.

Rillamas said as the days passed since her father wandered away from the parking lot of the McDonald's restaurant in La'ie at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday, it was hard to keep up hopes that he would be found alive.

"I was ready for whatever news; I think we all just wanted closure," Rillamas said. "Just so many days had passed.

"When I heard he was alive, I just breathed a sigh of relief and felt so overjoyed. We're so thankful for what everyone did and to have him back."

Mohetau is well-known in La'ie and serves on the Mormon Temple board, his daughter said.

"Everybody knows him for his fishing for squid and leaving fruit out on the front wall for people to take," added Rillamas, who said his activities have been slowed since a car accident about 18 months ago.

The search effort yesterday consisted of six groups of five people each by midafternoon and was concentrated in the area around Malaekahana State Park based on a possible sighting tip of Mohetau late Sunday afternoon.

The group continued searching despite a call at about 5:30 p.m. of a body sighting in the waters. "It was unconfirmed so we just kept searching our area," Chang said.

A body in the water was never found, police said.

Rillamas said her father had never wandered off before and likely will not venture too far from home but it's comforting to know that neighbors will keep an eye out for him.

"Everyone is well aware of my father's condition now so they'll help us to watch him," Rillamas said.

Added Chang: "This is what La'ie is all about — people helping each other."

Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.