HONOLULU -  U.S. Coast Guard and Hawaii County Fire Department crews are searching for a possible missing person in the water near Kailua, Kona on the Big Island.
The person is reported to be an athletic, 250-pound, 40-year-old man, wearing a black and gray rash guard and black shorts. He was reported to be traveling between Honokohau to Kealakekua Bay to meet friends.
The Coast Guard received a report at 6:16 p.m. Wednesday from Big Island authorities concerning a small power vessel running in circles with no one aboard. A Hawaii Fire Department rescue boat crew was first on scene.
Hawaii Police Department officers determined the man had rented a vessel from a marina at Honokohau. Hawaii County officials reported fishing gear was found aboard the vessel.
An  HH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter crew from Air Station Barbers Point was on scene at about 10 p.m. Thursday and commenced a search, starting in Kealakekua Bay to two nautical miles offshore from the missing man's last known position off the Kailua, Kona coastline. Crewmembers aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Kiska, a 110-foot patrol boat homeported in Hilo, also joined the search early Thursday, at about 7 a.m. Both Coast Guard crews plan to search through Friday morning.
On-scene weather conditions are reported to be calm, with good visibility.

Missing boater has officials 'perplexed'

Unusual circumstances surround the disappearance of a 58-year-old man whose rented boat was found going in circles north of Honokohau Harbor, a Big Island fire official said.
Fire Battalion Chief said Operator 1had recently moved to Hawaii from Utah and was staying at a Waikiki hotel.
"It's very peculiar what happened because he came over from Oahu, rented the boat and then went out with no fishing gear and no alcohol," Fire Chief said. "On the boat they found airline tickets to come to the Big Island and go back the same day, and he had no hotel reservations."
The boat was spotted by the owner's son going past Kahaluu Beach Park at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday; then someone from another boat saw the boat going in circles at 6:15 p.m. about three miles off the Kona Coast, Fire Chief said. The search will continue this morning.
"It looks like an unfortunate boating accident; that's what it's leading to right now," police Lt. said yesterday. "We're perplexed." The boat owner told authorities Operator 1was upbeat and that there was nothing out of the ordinary when he rented the 21-foot Triumph from Kona Boat Rentals at Honokohau Harbor. He was last seen leaving alone at 10:30 a.m. and was to return at 5:30 p.m. Operator 1told the owner he was taking the boat to Kealakekua Bay to meet friends. Investigators wish to speak with the friends. Operator 1is 6 feet 3 inches tall, 225 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a black-and-gray rash guard and black shorts. Fire crews conducted an aerial search yesterday from Kealakekua Bay to Upolu Point and by boat from Kealakekua Bay to Kona Airport, while the Coast Guard sent a patrol boat from Hilo and a helicopter crew.

Unusual circumstances surround the disappearance of a 58-year-old man whose rented boat was found going in circles north of Honokohau Harbor, a Big Island fire official said.
Fire Battalion Chief  said Operator 1had recently moved to Hawaii from Utah and was staying at a Waikiki hotel.
Honokohau Harbor              