In the late afternoon of a Monday in November 2009, 53-year-old Russell Yoshida launched a solo fishing trip from Puuiki Beach in Waialua in a nine-foot yellow kayak and did not return. He was last seen wearing a beige long-sleeved shirt and blue nylon shorts with a floral print and was reportedly fishing for oio for visiting members of his church. Known locally as a cautious, experienced ocean man who taught others to fish and dive, Yoshida was described as a single father who lived with and cared for his mother and as an active member of the Haleiwa congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

An extensive search by the Honolulu Fire Department and the U.S. Coast Guard covered an area from Hale’iwa to Mokule’ia and involved helicopters, a 110-foot search boat and a C-130 airplane. Searchers recovered some of his belongings — a paddle, a fishing pole, and items including a water bailer and water bottles found in debris near his launch site — but his kayak was never located. The official search was eventually called off and Yoshida was not found, leaving his disappearance unresolved.

Does anyone who knew Russell or who was on that shoreline in November 2009 have information that could help clarify what happened that day?