---

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Search for missing 77-year-old to resume

COURTESY PHOTO VIA KITV4 Lanai resident Robert "Bobby" Amaral, who suffers from dementia, has been missing since Friday.

More than 100 concerned residents joined police and firefighters yesterday in the search for a 77-year-old Lanai City man, who went missing early Friday.

Robert "Bobby" Amaral suffers from dementia. Police said he was last seen about 5:45 a.m. Friday in Lanai City, wearing a light-blue T-shirt, dark blue-gray plaid pajama pants, off-white running shoes and a blue cap.

Amaral apparently wandered off from his home, where he lives with family, a Lanai police lieutenant said. Amaral has been lost before and found.

Yesterday, searchers scoured sites across Lanai, but as of last night had not found Amaral. The search will resume at first light today and volunteers are again expected to come out in force.

In addition to police and firefighters, the Hawaii National Guard and state Department of Land and Natural Resources participated in yesterday's search.

Anyone with information on Amaral's whereabouts can call Lanai police at 244-6496.

Wisconsin visitor drowns off Big Isle

A 62-year-old man visiting from Wisconsin apparently drowned yesterday in waters off North Kohala, Big Island police said.

The man's identity is being withheld, pending notification of his family.

Witnesses said they saw the man fighting waves and a strong current just before he went under and failed to resurface. Bystanders helped get the victim to shore and administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation until firefighters arrived.

The man was taken to the Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5:19 p.m.