HONOLULU — The body of a man missing in the ocean near Paradise Park, on the Big Island, was located by first responders at 7 a.m. Wednesday.
The Coast Guard was notified Wednesday that the Hawaii County Fire Department located the body of Charles Lyon who reportedly fell into the sea Tuesday.
“This is a terrible loss and we offer our deepest sympathies to the Lyon family during this difficult time,” said Cmdr. Steven Wheeler, Sector Honolulu search and rescue mission coordinator.
Coast Guard watchstanders at the Sector Honolulu command center were notified of a person in the water near Paradise Park, approximately 10 miles south of Hilo, on Tuesday evening. The crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Kiska, a 110-foot cutter homeported in Hilo, and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station Barbers Point, were launched to search for Lyon at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Kiska crew searched throughout the night, while the Dolphin crew conducted evening and early morning searches.
Lyon was reportedly walking along a bluff approximately 20 feet above the water when he fell into the ocean.
Hawaii’s high surf conditions and rocky coastlines can be treacherous and the Coast Guard recommends individuals use extreme care when hiking, check local weather and sea conditions and heed all warnings from local authorities and posted signs.
For more information on this case contact Lt. Kevin Cooper, the Sector Honolulu public affairs officer, at 808-842-2657. To contact the Hawaii County Fire Department dispatch, dial 808-961-8336.