Crews Suspend Search For Missing Maui Kayaker

Helicopter crews scan shoreline for missing kayaker. Photo by Wendy Osher.

By Wendy Osher

(Update: 7:10 p.m. Jan. 27, 2012)

After three days of searching from the air, land, and sea, the search for the missing kayaker on Maui was terminated.

Today, units from the Maui Fire Department’s Engine-6, Ladder-14, Engine-10, Rescue-10, two jet ski’s from Rescue-10, and Air-1; as well as two jet ski’s from the Maui County Ocean Safety division, conducted searches until 6 p.m., at which time it was decided to call off the search.

Torry Durrell, 55, of Kihei was last seen on Tuesday when his kayak was found in waters off of Kalepolepo Beach.

He was reported missing a day later, when a neighbor said he failed to return from a planned kayak outing.

The Coast Guard, meantime, suspended its involvement in the search at 6:18 p.m. Thursday, after covering a total of 272 square miles.

(Posted: 10:28 a.m. Jan. 27, 2012)

The land and sea search continued today for a missing kayaker on Maui.

Torry Durrell, 55, of Kihei was last seen on Tuesday when his kayak was found in waters off of Kalepolepo Beach.

He was reported missing a day later, when a neighbor said he failed to return from a planned kayak outing.

The effort today involves crews from the County of Maui Ocean Safety division, and the Maui Fire Department’s Air-1 helicopter and Engine 6.

Ocean Safety crews patrol the waters off of Kamaole, 1/25/12. Photo by Wendy Osher.

The Coast Guard, meantime, suspended its involvement in the search at 6:18 p.m. Thursday, after covering a total of 272 square miles.

“Our decision to suspend the search was not made easily,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Crystal Tassan Toffola, an Operations Specialist at Sector Honolulu in a press release.

“We took into account the probability of survival, weather, drift and other data,” said Toffola.  She noted that the decision to suspend Coast Guard efforts is pending any new information.

“We offer our thoughts and prayers to Torry Durrell’s friends and family during this difficult time,” she said.

Coast Guardsmen aboard an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Barbers Point, the Hilo-based crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Kiska, the Kiska small boat, a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium from Station Maui, and Coast Guard Auxiliarists aboard a Cessna airplane were all deployed in the search from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday evening.