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Coast Guard suspends search for two missing fishermen near Naalehu

The Coast Guard has suspended its search for two missing fishermen presumed to have been swept from shore on Hawaii island Wednesday night.

It called off the search for James Oyama, 62, and Jay Jara, 37, at 7 p.m. They went missing at Whittington Beach Park, near Naalehu, around 5 p.m. Wednesday. Their vehicles were located at the beach park, and their gear was found on shore. 15 mile-per-hour winds and seas up to 8 feet were reported at the scene.

“Pending any further developments, we’ve suspended the active search for these men,” said Cmdr. Benjamin Gates, deputy sector commander of the Coast Guard Sector Honolulu. “Suspending a search without a positive resolution is never easy. Our condolences go out to the families and friends of James and Jay.”

The Coast Guard conducted 28 searches and covered nearly 1,000 nautical miles during its search that included ground crews and multiple air-based ones. The Hawaii Police Department was also involved.

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