LAHAINA, Hawai‘i — An underwater search and recovery effort continued Wednesday in near-shore water in close proximity to the Lahaina Small Boat Harbor and the Front Street breakwater.
A team of 40 from the Maui Fire Department and Ocean Safety used personal watercraft to conduct grid searches, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said.
The search area stretches about 4 miles from Puamana Beach Park on the south of Lahaina to Wahikuli Wayside Park on the north, the Department of Land and Natural Resources said in an update on Wednesday afternoon.
Firefighters also used snorkel gear instead of the dry suits and fully encapsulated face masks used the previous weekend by rescue and dive crews.
“We’re going through this sizable area … with a fine-tooth comb. Even with a crew this size, I have no doubt this is going to be a multi-day operation,” said Maui Fire Department Capt. Peter Vanderpoel.
“We do know that people went into the water here, so we’re taking a much more forensic approach to the search here because there’s a high probability that we will find items in this area. … Other areas outside of here (are) a little bit more of a broad search. We’re really being meticulous in the area along Front Street.”
He said firefighters and first responders have been working nearly nonstop since a wildfire, which started on Tuesday, Aug. 8, devastated the town of Lahaina.
Vanderpoel said some of those firefighters lost their homes in the wildfire, which has claimed the lives of 115 people and burned approximately 2,170 acres. The Lahaina Fire was 90 percent contained, as of Tuesday evening.
“Right now, I think overall we’re holding up very well. Everybody is still in the fight mode. There’s work to be done. We’re here to stay with it and work until duty does not require us to work anymore,” he said.
Between 1,000 and 1,100 people remain unaccounted for following the wildfire, the County of Maui said in an update on Tuesday evening, while 1,400 other people who were originally reported as unaccounted for have since been found. Those numbers are expected to fluctuate for the foreseeable future.
“The Maui Police Department, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies are doing critically important work. On behalf of our community, I want to express our gratitude for their efforts, care and compassion,” said County of Maui Mayor Richard Bissen on Tuesday evening.
“This is an extraordinarily difficult time for many families, and our hearts are with them as we make our way through this time.”
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Wyatt Haupt Jr.,editor, can be reached at 808-245-0457 or whaupt@thegardenisland.com.
