Hawaii County Fire Department rescue workers reported Sunday they might have found the body of a man who has been missing in Akaka Falls Park since Friday.
Hawaii County Fire Department rescue workers reported Sunday they might have found the body of a man who has been missing in Akaka Falls Park since Friday.
In a release issued Sunday afternoon, the fire department said the body was found by scuba divers at the bottom of a pond approximately 1/4 mile downstream of Akaka Falls.
On Sunday morning, “Rescue Company 2’s ground team resumed its search of a missing person in the Akaka Falls park and trail area,” the release stated. “Chopper 1 conducted aerial search of the Akaka Falls park and trail area as well as the surrounding forest and river.
“At approximately (10 a.m.), 2 scuba and 2 free divers were inserted into a pond approximately 1/4 mile downriver of Akaka Falls. Scuba divers located missing party at the bottom of the pond (30 feet) deep.”
The helicopter extricated the body using a Billy Pugh net and transported it to the rescue command post located at the Akaka Falls parking lot.
The Fire Department release did not identify the body, and a Hawaii Police Department spokesman said Sunday the body had not yet been positively identified, so it could not be said with certainty whether the body found was that of the man reported missing.
“It could have been someone else who drowned,” a police spokesman said. “We won’t know until they’ve identified the body and notified the family.”
Jeffrey Reyes, 53, was reported missing after last being seen at Akaka Falls State Park on Friday at 8:45 a.m.