Again, dreadful case recurring . . .

This is a local news item of a local newspaper, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, under their "Police and Fire" beat. The editors gave it a routine headline as "Missing kayaker's body found in sea." But it is a dreadful recurring case that happens all around the world and there is nothing we can do about it other than notice it as another case for the statistics:

The body of a missing kayaker was found yesterday off Windward Oahu.

Firefighters found the man's body at 2:51 p.m. His identity has not been released.

"It's a hard thing on Mother's Day," said Honolulu Fire Capt. Robert Main.

The man was kayaking Saturday afternoon with a group that made it to the Mokulua Islands off Lanikai.

They were resting on the rocks when a rogue wave washed two people off, and only one of them made it back to the island, Main said.

The man's friends couldn't find him and called for help at 6:08 p.m. Firefighters suspended their search at about 7:35 p.m. because of darkness.

The Coast Guard scoured the sea overnight with a helicopter and a vessel.

Firefighters resumed their search at dawn with a helicopter and two personal watercraft. Divers with the Fire Department also looked for the man underwater.

Firefighters found his body in the ocean outside the Mokulua Islands, and a helicopter brought it back to shore.

Yes, that appalling line seems to have becomes a matter of fact: "They were resting on the rocks when a rogue wave washed two people off, and only one of them made it back to the island, . . . " which is in disguise of seemingly the same repeating plot we have been reporting over and over. Let's pause to pray for the poor lost soul, may he rest in peace. Can we ever be able to figure out how, when, or where do this kind of things happen and why, so that we can expect to prevent it from happening again?

Update Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser has a detailed report by Rosemarie Bernardo with full identification of the victim along with a video report called Kayaking Death. It certainly can not by any means lessen the deep anguish one feels about the whole sad case.