Big Island missing swimmer identified
Advertiser Staff
Hawaii County fire rescue personnel have resumed a search Tuesday for a man who jumped into rough waters off a rocky shoreline cliff in Kona known as “End of the World.”
Hawaii County officials Tuesday identified him as 30-year-old Daniel Wright of Kailua-Kona.
Wright was last seen about 2:30 p.m. Monday in waters off "End of the World" at the end of Ali'i Drive. He was observed drifting out to sea and treading water. Shortly thereafter, witnesses lost sight of him.
The Fire Department searched for him Monday and Tuesday using a boat and a helicopter. As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, the search was unsuccessful.
A county news release describes the area as a 20-foot cliff where swimmers like to leap into the ocean.
Friends told firefighters that Wright could not get back to shore because of the large waves and drifted to the center of the bay. Wright was about 100 yards from shore when he vanished from sight.