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Missing Big Isle boater is wanted by police

A man presumed to be a missing boater, whose unmanned boat was found Sunday adrift off North Kohala, is wanted by Hawaii County police.

Derek Liu, whose Nissan truck remains at a Kawaihae campsite, was the subject of a CrimeStoppers bulletin on Friday.

The 52-year-old Honokaa man is wanted for violating terms of bail.

He is described as 5-foot-10, 165 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair.

Liu has 28 prior convictions — mostly violations, petty misdemeanors and misdemeanors. He had three felony convictions: Possession of a prohibited firearm in 2010, a Class B felony; and two Class C felonies — drug promotion and auto theft — in 2002.

The Hawaii County Fire Department and the Coast Guard will continue searching for missing boaters — Liu and a possible unidentified woman.

Campers, where Liu’s green pickup truck was found, said they saw a man and a woman in a Zodiac-type dinghy on Saturday, like the one found.

Report of a possible second missing boater has neither been confirmed nor identified, fire officials said in a news release Sunday.

A fisherman found the 12-foot inflatable boat about a mile offshore of Kohala Estates and towed it to the Kawaihae boat ramp.

Hawaii County Fire Battalion Chief John Whitman said the fire department would resume its search Tuesday morning.

Today, fire personnel performed searches along the coastline by helicopter, using divers and ground personnel, but found no trace of the missing boaters.

The Coast Guard continued its search with a helicopter and the cutter Kittiwake.

Liu’s family said he was last seen Saturday afternoon at home before going fishing, the Fire Department said.

Police ask anyone with information on Liu’s whereabouts to call 935-3311 or call CrimeStoppers at 961-8300.

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