Fisherman Dragged Overboard by Giant Tuna in Hawaii, Still Missing

A man fishing off the coast of Hawaii has been missing since Sunday after being dragged off a boat by a giant tuna, officials say.

Captain Cook resident Mark Knittle, 63, was fishing on a boat about four miles off the coast of Hōnaunau when he reportedly hooked a giant ahi tuna at around five a.m., the New York Post reported.

According to a police report, Knittle’s last words were, “The fish is huge,” before he was dragged off the boat’s deck and into the ocean.

A friend standing near Knittle told officials he tried to grab the fisherman’s line but missed it as the man was pulled into the water.

The search continues for a missing Hawaii fisherman who went overboard from a boat after hooking a tuna over the weekend.

A friend who was fishing with Mark Knittle said he heard Knittle call the fish huge before he went overboard and into the water. https://t.co/XiwgWub9Ql

— The Associated Press (@AP) January 17, 2023

The police report added that Knittle was seen for a brief moment in the water but then disappeared. People on the boat said there was no way to know where to jump in to try and save him.

Authorities have launched a search effort, but the tuna — which can be six feet in length and weigh up to 400 pounds — could have dragged the man far from where the boat’s location.

“If there’s a fish that’s actually pulling him around, you don’t know where he could go,” said Darwin Okinaka, Hawaii County Fire Department assistant chief of operations.

The Coast Guard mounted a 72-hour search using a cutter and aircraft while the fire department added its own boats to assist, NBC said.

The missing man is described as being 5’10” tall and weighing approximately 185 pounds. He has curly brown hair, a white mustache, and a beard.

Anyone with information is being asked to call the police department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311 or email Officer Melani Cline at melani.cline@hawaiicounty.gov.

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