A New Jersey man last seen swimming near a Hawaiian beach vanished into the sea Saturday, officials said.
The missing swimmer was identified as 25-year-old Matthew Preziose, according to a statement Sunday from Kauai County officials.
Rescuers were dispatched at about 1 p.m. when two swimmers were reported in distress in the waters off Lumaha’i Beach, on the north shore of Kauai.
Witnesses “reported that one swimmer made it safely to shore while the second swimmer, Preziose, was last seen being swept out to sea,” the statement said.
The search for Preziose on Saturday included the U.S. Coast Guard, local firefighters and roving lifeguards on jet skis. The Coast Guard looked for Preziose into the night. But there was “no sign of the missing swimmer,” officials said.
A search continued Sunday that included lifeguards and firefighters on personal watercrafts, additional watercrafts from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, also known as DLNR, along with air and water resources from the U.S. Coast Guard. Kauai police and DLNR personnel conducted shoreline searches on Sunday, officials said.
A spokesperson with Kauai County did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for an update on the search.
Preziose’s relatives could not be reached.
Matthew Preziose is described as 5-feet-11 inches tall and was last seen wearing blue swim trunks, officials said.