Airmen from the 31st and 33rd Rescue Squadrons and members of the Japanese coast guard are searching for a Kadena Air Base Airman who was reported missing while surfing Nov. 22.
The Airman disappeared while surfing near Cape Hedo, the northernmost point on the Japanese island of Okinawa, at around 10 a.m. local time, according to a press release from the 18th Wing.
The Japanese coast guard searched for the Airman until dark, when the 18th Wing’s rescue squadrons took over the search effort. The search continued Nov. 23.
“We are doing everything in our power to locate our missing Airman,” Brig. Gen. Joel L. Carey, 18th Wing commander, said in the release. “We greatly appreciate the ongoing support from the Okinawan community, along with the outpouring of thoughts and prayers. Our rescue squadrons, and the entirety of Team Kadena, will continue working closely with the Japanese Coast Guard to bring our Airman home.”