Kenneth L. Abell was a 21-year-old active duty U.S. Marine stationed at Camp Smith in Hawaii when he disappeared on February 12, 1999. He and two fellow Marines paddled to the Mokulua Islands about a mile offshore from Lanikai Beach in Kailua. While on one of the islands Kenneth was climbing the rocks near the water’s edge when a powerful wave struck, sweeping him off a ledge and into the ocean; he did not resurface.

An immediate search and rescue operation was mounted by the Honolulu Fire Department and other agencies. Rough weather and dangerous surf forced the initial search to be called off after three days; subsequent searches resumed once conditions improved but were unable to locate him. Kenneth was described as having blue eyes and brown hair.

His parents in Maryland and his wife of two months, Katherine, survived him. The family later established a memorial fund and donated $4,500 to the Honolulu Fire Department for water rescue equipment; the money was used to purchase underwater diving scooters. Does anyone have additional memories of that day or information about Kenneth’s outing to the Mokulua Islands?