Fisherman Is Missing After Going Overboard While Hooking a 'Huge' Ahi Tuna in Hawaii
Hawaii Police Department/Facebook
A 63-year-old man is still missing after he fell off his boat while catching a large tuna fish off the shore of Hawaii over the weekend.
Fisherman Mark Knittle was last seen on Sunday morning while in a boat off Hōnaunau, according to the Hawaii Police Department.
Knittle, of Captain Cook, Hawaii, was with a friend when he hooked an ahi tuna about four miles outside of the Hōnaunau Boat Ramp. After he had the tuna on his line, Knittle's friend heard him say, "the fish is huge," before going overboard.
"The friend attempted to grab the line but was unsuccessful," police said. "Knittle was seen on the surface and disappeared within seconds. The friend attempted to jump in after Knittle but could not see him anywhere."
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The Hawaii Fire Department and the Coast Guard responded to the scene and planned a continuous 72-hour search.
As of Wednesday, Knittle has not been found.
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"Usually our incidents like this are along the coastlines," Darwin Okinaka, Hawaii County Fire Department assistant chief of operations, told CBS News. "This is a different situation because it's out in the deep."
"If there's a fish that's actually pulling him around, you don't know where he could go," Okinaka added.
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Ahi tuna can grow to six feet in length and weigh up to 400 lbs., per NOAA Fisheries.
According to police, Knittle is 5 feet, 10 inches tall, weighs 185 lbs., and has a mustache and beard.
