A North Carolina grandpa who vanished after snorkelling in the waters near Hawaii is the subject of a desperate search.
Early on Friday night, a worried family member reported that John Weems, 75, had not returned after exploring the shoreline next to 100 Nohea Kai Drive in Kaanapali, a seaside neighbourhood dotted with resorts and golf courses.
According to the Maui Police Department (MPD), he last texted a family member at 1:30 p.m. that day to let them know he was going snorkelling.
According to KHON2 News, authorities stated that he was last spotted near Black Rock at Kaanapali Beach.
At approximately 3 p.m., less than two hours later, a hotel visitor informed the staff that they thought they saw a man struggling in the ocean.
Together with the island’s fire department (MFD), the US Coast Guard, Air One, drones, and a Coast Guard helicopter, Maui police conducted a thorough search on Friday that lasted until dusk.
The mission also involved the deployment of a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium personnel vessel.
According to KHON2, the Maui Ocean Safety Bureau and Coast Guard personnel from Honolulu, Maui, and Air Station Barbers Point were among those participating.
North Carolina resident John Weems, 75, was reported missing on Friday after failing to return after a snorkelling excursion in Hawaii.
According to authorities, he was last observed near Black Rock at Kaanapali Beach.
Air One staff and fire department jet skis resumed the search on Saturday morning, but Weems has not yet been located.
He is described as a Caucasian male with brown eyes and grey hair who is 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs about 170 pounds. What he was wearing last is unknown.
“I heard the helicopter back first light this morning and it was not out there for long (longer last evening),” one commenter wrote under the police department’s Facebook post. However, there have been no updates regarding the search thus far.
“Very rough water yesterday with red flags everywhere,” another person commented. I hope they locate him.
Please call the MPD’s non-emergency hotline, 808-244-6400, if you have any information about Weems’ whereabouts. In the event of an emergency, call 911 and mention MPD report number 26-012349.
A few weeks before to the grandfather’s disappearance, a 66-year-old woman perished while snorkelling at one of the most famous water sports locations on the island.
According to SFGate, Jian-Ping Sun of Campbell, California, was found unconscious in Hanauma Bay on April 26 at approximately 9.30 a.m.
At 1:30 p.m., the grandfather texted a family member to let them know that he was going snorkelling close to 100 Nohea Kai Drive in Kaanapali, a resort and golf course-lined coastline region.
Along with the island’s fire department (MFD), the US Coast Guard, Air One, drones, and a Coast Guard aircraft, Maui police conducted a thorough search on Friday.
According to NBC Bay Area, lifeguards discovered her after her body had drifted roughly ten feet offshore. Before she was sent to the hospital, they tried to save her life.
Although Sun’s cause of unconsciousness while snorkelling in the bay is still unknown, medical personnel ultimately declared her dead. They don’t think foul play was involved, investigators said NBC.
The country’s most popular tourist destinations can have hazards that frequently result in unexpected tragedy and fatalities, personal injury lawyer Jeffrey Reiff exclusively told the Daily Mail last year.
He clarified, “Even the most innocent place can be the most dangerous.” The truth is that there are problems—or worse—when we travel. Catastrophic incidents occur because things don’t always go as planned, he clarified.
Numerous individuals and families affected by life-altering events while on vacation, which frequently resulted in severe injuries, brain damage, and, in certain situations, fatalities, have been represented by his Philadelphia law office.
And even money cannot keep you safe, he warned.
Reiff stated, “Some of the worst cases I’ve seen have happened in the most opulent resorts—assaults, food poisoning, a catastrophic equipment failure that leads to an awful situation.”
