Update: County, Coast Guard search for missing Līhu‘e man Gary Gushiken continues
1:50 p.m. Aug. 26 update: Multiple agencies continued their search for a missing Kaua‘i man in waters off Nukoli‘i Beach in Wailua on Monday.
As of 1 p.m. the county of Kaua‘i Air 1 helicopter and assets of the U.S. Coast Guard conducted ocean and air searches for the missing man.
The county also released photographs of both the search operation and missing man, Gary Gushiken.
Original post: Multiple agencies continued their search for a missing Kaua‘i man in waters off Nukoli‘i Beach in Wailua on Monday morning.
The Kaua‘i Police Department has identified the missing person as Gary Gushiken, 50, of Līhu‘e, county officials reported.
Personnel with the Kaua‘i Police Department, Kaua‘i Fire Department, the U.S. Coast Guard, Ocean Safety Bureau, Kaua‘i Search and Rescue, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, and the on-duty KFD battalion chief are responding to the incident. Air and ocean assets from the county are on standby depending on weather conditions.
According to a preliminary report, Kaua‘i Fire Department personnel responded to a report of a missing snorkeler at Nukoli‘i Beach on Aug. 24 at approximately 6:40 p.m. The man was about 100 yards offshore when he was separated from his party and went missing. Air, land and sea searches have been ongoing through the weekend. First responders resumed search operations Monday morning.
Volunteers with Life’s Bridges, a grief counseling service, were contacted to offer support to the missing person’s family.
Updates on the search will be given as information becomes available.
Anyone with information about the missing man is encouraged call KPD Dispatch at 808-241-1711, leave an anonymous tip by calling Crime Stoppers Kaua‘i at 808-246-8300, submitting a tip at cskauai.org, or through the Crime Stoppers Kaua‘i P3 Tips Mobile App.