Edward Eddie Ryan Makua Hanai Aikau was a celebrated Native Hawaiian waterman and the first lifeguard on the North Shore of Oʻahu. Born in Kahului, Maui, on May 4, 1946, he saved over 500 people at Waimea Bay and won the Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Championship in 1977. The local saying Eddie Would Go grew from his willingness to enter surf others would not.

In 1978, at age 31, he sailed as a crew member on the traditional voyaging canoe Hōkūleʻa, which set out to re-enact the Polynesian route to Tahiti. On March 16 the canoe capsized about twelve miles from land in the Kaiwi Channel. Aikau set out paddling on his surfboard toward Lānaʻi to seek help and was last seen leaving the overturned canoe. The crew were rescued, but an extensive air‑sea search found no trace of him or his board and he was never seen again.

His case is no longer actively investigated by law enforcement. Does anyone have memories of Eddie or information about that voyage that might help preserve his story?