Search Resumes for Missing Passenger 08/26/00

HAWAII COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT
SOUTH HILO PATROL DIVISION
LIEUTENANT CHAD FUKUI
PHONE: 961-2311
AUGUST 26, 2000

MEDIA RELEASE UPDATE

Police, fire rescue and Coast Guard personnel resumed a search Saturday (August 26, 2000) for a woman passenger missing after a small twin-engine plane ditched Friday into waters off the Honolii area of South Hilo.

The missing passenger was identified as Laveta Rose Reynolds, 61, of North Collinsville, Oklahoma. She was discovered missing after eight other persons aboard the plane were rescued Friday evening.

Witnesses said the 10-seat Piper Chieftain ditched about 5:30 p.m. Friday in waters about 200 feet offshore of Kahoa Road in the Honolii surfing area.

Police said the eight persons rescued, including the pilot, were taken to the Hilo Medical Center for treatment.

By noon Saturday, all but three had been released.

The plane, owned by Big Island Air of Kailua-Kona, was on a flight from Kona to Hilo when it went down.

Survivors of the crash were identified as Nicholas A. Vamis, 33, the pilot, of Kailua-Kona; Daoud Srouji, 66, of San Francisco, California; Paul Kemper, 23, of Kamuela, Hawaii; James Reynolds, 64, husband of the missing passenger, of North Collinsville, Oklahoma; and Alvin Taylor, 66, Oretha M. Taylor, 61, Angela J. Taylor, 30, and Lori L. Taylor, 27, all of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

James Reynolds and Oretha and Lori Taylor were still hospitalized at noon Saturday. All were reported in good condition.

Inspectors from the Federal Aviation Agency and National Transportation Safety Board were expected to arrive Saturday in Hilo to investigate the cause of the crash.

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