On January 18, 2025, the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) received a 911 call at 10:40 a.m. to investigate a possible missing person at at Ke Iki Beach in Pūpūkea. The first unit arrived on scene at 10:48 a.m. and met with the caller to investigate. After talking with the caller, HFD upgraded the incident to two missing swimmers. A total of 7 HFD units, staffed with 21 personnel, were dispatched to this emergency.

HFD immediately conducted a shoreline search for the missing people. High surf conditions made the search operation challenging. HFD coordinated search efforts with Honolulu Ocean Safety, the Honolulu Police Department, and the U.S. Coast Guard. HFD ocean and air assests were conducting a search approximately 2.5 miles offshore Ke Iki beach. Search operations, via air and ocean, were suspended at 6:30 p.m. due to darkness and will resume at first light.