The Coast Guard searched again yesterday for a National Guardsman and his 12-foot inflatable boat, last seen by a fisherman Wednesday night about a half-mile off Mahukona along the North Kohala coast of the Big Island. Search continues
for National GuardsmanJason Henderson did not return
Wednesday from a fishing tripStar-Bulletin staff
Second Lt. Jason Henderson, 30, was reported missing by his in-laws at 10 p.m. Wednesday after he did not return from an all-day fishing trip aboard his Zodiac, which had a 2-horsepower engine.
"We still have hope we can find him in good health," said Lt. Danny Shaw with the Coast Guard. Physical training with the military may help Henderson's chances of survival, according to Shaw.
"He's a soldier, so we would expect he would have a better chance than the average citizen," Shaw said.
Two Coast Guard airplanes and a Navy plane searched Saturday and last night for Henderson off South Maui, Kahoolawe and the Big Island. By last night the search effort would have covered 26,000 square miles, Shaw said.
The Coast Guard used a National Guard helicopter during Saturday's search. Whether the National Guard sends out the helicopter again depends on the Coast Guard's needs, said Maj. Charles Anthony, Hawaii National Guard public affairs officer.
Members of the National Guard also voluntarily searched the shoreline in the Mahukona area.
"They figured it's a member of their unit, and if it happened to them, they would like the same treatment," Anthony said.
The Coast Guard does not know what kind of safety equipment Henderson had on the boat, Shaw said. The Coast Guard requires owners of boats under 17 feet to have one life jacket per person; a way to make a sufficient noise, such as a whistle or a hand-held horn; and safety flares.
Henderson became an officer in May and then was assigned to an infantry unit on the Big Island.