Post by L Roebuck on Mar 15, 2006 8:53:30 GMT -5
Windsor man missing off Oahu
Search fails to find Zach Johnson, who had gone cliff diving
By Tillie Fong, Rocky Mountain News
March 15, 2006
The Coast Guard continued searching Tuesday for a Windsor man who has been missing since cliff diving Saturday in Hawaii.
"At this time, the search is still continuing," said Michael De Nyse, spokesman for the Coast Guard in Hawaii. "We're going to exhaust all of our resources to find him."
Zachary Ryan Johnson, 21, an operations specialist with the Navy, was last seen Saturday afternoon in the water near Spitting Caves at Portlock, on the eastern side of the island of Oahu.
Johnson was with several friends at the popular cliff-jumping and swimming spot for locals.
"He and his buddies walked up to the cliff and talked themselves out of it (jumping off the cliff)," said Johnson's older brother, Matt Johnson.
"He turned around and said, 'Yeah, but what a rush,' jumped off and swam for a rock.
"He got caught in the riptide and he started floating on his back and drifted out."
A surface search for Johnson was mounted Saturday afternoon by the Honolulu Fire Department and the Coast Guard, with about 25 to 30 people involved.
Rescuers used two helicopters and numerous jet boats and jet skis to search about 30 to 40 miles of coastline the first day.
Rain and swells of 6 to 8 feet have complicated the search.
The Honolulu Fire Department officially ended its effort to find Johnson Tuesday night.
The Spitting Caves beach has long been a trouble spot for swimmers and has been the site of numerous rescues.
"There's a cave area, and if you get too close, the waves can smash you against the rocks," said Capt. Kenison Tejada of the Honolulu Fire Department.
Born in Fort Collins, Zach Johnson grew up in Loveland and Windsor. The second of five children, he was on the football and wrestling teams at Windsor High.
He joined the Navy shortly after graduating from Windsor High in 2003 in hopes of becoming a Navy SEAL. He spent three months in San Diego undergoing basic underwater demolition SEAL training before a medical condition prevented him from finishing.
About 2 1/2 years ago, Johnson was assigned to the USS Lake Erie, which is based at Pearl Harbor, Matt Johnson said.
"He's an active guy," said his brother. "He likes to live on the edge, and cliff diving was one of those things."
tinyurl.com/km86w
Search fails to find Zach Johnson, who had gone cliff diving
By Tillie Fong, Rocky Mountain News
March 15, 2006
The Coast Guard continued searching Tuesday for a Windsor man who has been missing since cliff diving Saturday in Hawaii.
"At this time, the search is still continuing," said Michael De Nyse, spokesman for the Coast Guard in Hawaii. "We're going to exhaust all of our resources to find him."
Zachary Ryan Johnson, 21, an operations specialist with the Navy, was last seen Saturday afternoon in the water near Spitting Caves at Portlock, on the eastern side of the island of Oahu.
Johnson was with several friends at the popular cliff-jumping and swimming spot for locals.
"He and his buddies walked up to the cliff and talked themselves out of it (jumping off the cliff)," said Johnson's older brother, Matt Johnson.
"He turned around and said, 'Yeah, but what a rush,' jumped off and swam for a rock.
"He got caught in the riptide and he started floating on his back and drifted out."
A surface search for Johnson was mounted Saturday afternoon by the Honolulu Fire Department and the Coast Guard, with about 25 to 30 people involved.
Rescuers used two helicopters and numerous jet boats and jet skis to search about 30 to 40 miles of coastline the first day.
Rain and swells of 6 to 8 feet have complicated the search.
The Honolulu Fire Department officially ended its effort to find Johnson Tuesday night.
The Spitting Caves beach has long been a trouble spot for swimmers and has been the site of numerous rescues.
"There's a cave area, and if you get too close, the waves can smash you against the rocks," said Capt. Kenison Tejada of the Honolulu Fire Department.
Born in Fort Collins, Zach Johnson grew up in Loveland and Windsor. The second of five children, he was on the football and wrestling teams at Windsor High.
He joined the Navy shortly after graduating from Windsor High in 2003 in hopes of becoming a Navy SEAL. He spent three months in San Diego undergoing basic underwater demolition SEAL training before a medical condition prevented him from finishing.
About 2 1/2 years ago, Johnson was assigned to the USS Lake Erie, which is based at Pearl Harbor, Matt Johnson said.
"He's an active guy," said his brother. "He likes to live on the edge, and cliff diving was one of those things."
tinyurl.com/km86w