For years after Josh left from Belize to work on the wheat fields and then roofing in Canada and afterward join the Marine Corps, many in Belize asked “Where’s Josh”? It seemed like everyone we met asked that question. Now we are all asking it again.
After five years in the Marines and over two years in Mexico, Josh (26 years old) came to live with us here in Kailua Kona Hawaii this past August. It has been in many respects amazing to have him with us and sometimes rather enigmatic. For example, he has some interesting ideas and can be just difficult to understand. Josh likes adventure. Since being with us in Hawaii, it has not been uncommon for him to go on “walkabouts” (hikes) for up to a week at a time. He likes to go alone with minimal provisions (not the way we would do it).
Josh has talked about hiking all seven valleys on the North-northeast part of Hawaii Island, under the oldest of the Big Island’s five volcanic peaks. Hiking all seven valleys is a feat not often achieved especially since a large earthquake in 2006 dramatically changed the topography in one of the valleys making it incredibly difficult to pass.
On Monday morning, February 1st, Josh announced that he was headed out. I (Chris) asked him where he was headed and he simply and innocently said “I’ve told you where I am going”. I found this riddle interesting and didn’t immediately know what he was talking about – nor do I now, almost three weeks later.
The day after Josh headed out on his scooter, I (Chris) had my weekly neuro-feedback appointment in a part of the island known as Kohala, the same area where Josh had hiked into the valleys in the past. After my appointment, I rode my motorcycle out to the Pololu Valley Lookout and as I guessed might be the case, found Josh’s scooter near the trailhead. I took photos of the scooter, paused and prayed over Josh from the majestic viewpoint atop the northern wall of Pololu Valley and rode home.
The following Tuesday, just a week later than I had photographed the scooter at the trailhead, a friend went out there confirmed that the scooter was still there. The next day, we went to the Kona Police Station and had a conversation with an officer there about the situation. It was not strange for Josh to be gone for a number of days at a time but it was now definitely longer than we had grown accustomed to- concern began to creep in. We learned that there are essentially two types of police reports that can be filed in this type of situation, one an internal police report (BOLO – be on the look out) or a public missing person’s report which involves a media release and opens the door for cross departmental cooperation between police, fire, coast guard and others.
We knew that there were many possibilities for the way the question “where’s Josh?” could be answered and we sincerely did not know which of them may be true. Many possibilities were equally conceivable. We decided to go ahead and ask the police to issue a BOLO and we would continue to pray, talk, consider and wonder. We asked the officer’s suggestion on what to do with the scooter and he suggested that we go get it because there would be a high probability it would be stolen if left there much longer. The next morning, Chris went back to the lookout with Kyle, Josh’s cousin who loves and spends much time on the Big Island. I compared the scooter’s location to the photos I had taken ten days earlier and it appeared to be identical in placement. Kyle drove the scooter home.
The same day Chris and Kyle went to pick up the scooter, day eleven since Josh headed out from our house, Chris and Lynn visited the Kona Fire Station and spoke to the Captain about search and rescue. We learned much and even though we were not sure that Josh was even in the valleys, felt it was appropriate to request help and initiate a search. We made the appropriate phone calls and shortly afterward, the Battalion Chief (BC) called and we talked about the plan.
That same day, a Hawaii Fire Department helicopter with rescue personnel on board did an extensive air search along the coast and up into each of the valleys. They landed at several of the cabins scattered throughout the valleys to see if anyone had been in then recently. After several hours, they returned to their base and the BC called us with the news that they had turned up nothing. We had learned that an extensive search is typically done over three days. Over the next three days, approximately 850 man hours were spent in the valleys with air, ground and sea searches by personnel from three different rescue companies of the Hawaii Fire Department. They searched the most hiked trails, as well as off the beaten path. . The command post near the Pololu Valley Lookout included a fuel tanker truck to refuel the helicopters. The total land area between Pololu and Waipio Valleys is hundreds of square miles of steep, dense terrain with no infrastructure outside of Waipio. There is water and many fruit trees so it is possible to survive for a long time, but not without difficulty. After three full days of search and rescue plus the extensive air search the day prior to the full search and rescue operations, and no sign of Josh whatsoever, the BC reluctantly; with much honor and respect to us, suggested that we call off the search unless additional evidence surfaced so they would know better where to look. We agreed.
Today is the 18th day since Josh left the house. There are many possibilities we can imagine and have not committed to any of them since there is very little factual information we have to go on.
- He may have attempted the seven valleys
- If he attempted the valleys, he may not want to be found
- If he attempted the valleys, he may have completed them and / or found friends and is hanging with them
- If he attempted the valleys, he may be hurt and need help
- If he attempted the valleys, he may have taken a path far from any regular trail and out of range of the searchers
- He may be happily chilling in a hammock somewhere
- He may have fallen, broken an ankle and could not move, gotten hypothermia and died.
- Perhaps he will just show up someday.
- Perhaps we will never know and Monday February 1, 2021 is the last time we will have ever seen him.
Where’s Josh? We have no idea.