Search Suspended For NJ Man, 26, Swept To Sea On Hawaii Vacation

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — The U.S. Coast Guard announced Tuesday evening it has now suspended the search for a 26-year-old Middletown man who was swept out to sea while on a Hawaii vacation this past weekend.

"The Coast Guard suspended the active search for Matthew Preziose off Lumaha’i Beach Tuesday," the Hawaii-based Coast Guard unit announced on Twitter. "Preziose remains missing."

Preziose grew up in Middletown, and graduated from Middletown High School North. His family lives locally. A spokesman for the family declined to comment on Wednesday.

Other Middletown residents who knew him say he was a young man just launching a career in photography.

Preziose was on vacation when he was swept out to sea. He was last seen Saturday afternoon, swimming with a companion about 200 yards off the beach at Lumaha'i, on the north shore of the island of Kauai. A bystander saw two swimmers in distress in the waves and called 911.

The other swimmer made it back ashore but Preziose was carried further out to sea, said the Coast Guard.

"The Coast Guard conducted 35 searches over 61 search hours and covering 652 square miles with no sign of Mr. Preziose,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Lackey, based in Honolulu. “These are always the most difficult decisions to make in our line of work and our condolences go to Mr. Preziose’s family and friends.”

Just two days later, on Monday a 41-year-old surfer was similarly swept into the Pacific Ocean, also on Kauai's north shore and only a few miles away from where Preziose was swept out. The Coast Guard said in this press release that the man had been surfing with his son at Rock Quarry Beach when he was carried out to sea at 7:45 p.m.

Like Preziose, he remains missing. According to the Coast Guard, the wave height on Kauai's north shore was at four feet on Sunday, and rose to nine-foot swells by Monday, the day the surfer disappeared. Those are extremely difficult conditions to swim in.

The same day they announced the search for Preziose was ended, Coast Guard crews said they continue to comb the Pacific looking for the surfer.

Preziose is described as wearing dark-blue shorts, no shirt and three gold chains. People in boats in that area are requested to keep a sharp lookout for signs of distress and anyone with information is requested to contact the Coast Guard Sector Honolulu command center at 808-842-2600.

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