HONOLULU, Oahu — The search for a missing diver has ended tragically for a Kalihi family.
Updated: January 01, 1970, 01:00
HONOLULU, Oahu — The search for a missing diver has ended tragically for a Kalihi family.
The body of Junior Aneo was found this morning at Kahala Beach.
Friends and family members waited anxiously near the beach when they were told that search crews had found a body. When they realized that it was Junior Aneo, it was hard to accept.
"Nobody believed it, I didn't believe it until I saw the body. My brother he's tough, he's very healthy, he's into sports, he does a lot of exercises and stuff and he's experienced in fishing," said Ransey Aneo, Junior's brother.
His brother Ransey Aneo says Junior went spearfishing with three friends just after sunset last night off Kahala Beach. Friends say they were already making their way back when trouble occurred.
"When they turned around to check on him they saw the flashlight drifting away so they knew the current had him so all three other guys went in different directions trying to swim out to see if they can catch up with him." Ransey said.
His friends say the current was very strong so they couldn't stay in the water too long to look for him. The Honolulu Fire Department's rescue helicopter searched the area for a couple of hours, while friends scoured the shore all night, with no luck.
The search resumed this morning, and Junior was found near the shoreline at 6:30 am. His brother says Junior loved diving and had been doing it since he was a kid living in the Marshall Islands. Friends and family will miss his kindness and his generosity.
Ransey says, "I think if he sees someone with no shirt on he'll take the shirt off his back that's just the type of person he is."
Junior leaves behind a wife and four children, with one more on the way.
Ransey also says, "they're expecting but I know the kids are gonna be taken care of not just by their family but by all of our friends."
