Early Saturday morning Richard "Kalani" Vierra Jr. gave his mother a hug, kissed both her cheeks and said, "I love you, Mom," then set off alone for a hike in the rugged terrain above his Waianae home.
That was the last time Dolly Vierra saw her 15-year-old son.
"He’s on that mountain. I got a gut feeling," she said. "I just don’t know where."
Firefighters on Tuesday suspended their four-day search of the area where the Kamaile Academy Public Charter School 11th-grader is believed to have been hiking.
But friends, neighbors and community members vowed to continue the search Wednesday around Kamaileunu Ridge, which separates the Waianae and Makaha valleys.
Vierra said she’s trying to stay strong, but it’s hard.
"I’m scared," she said. "It’s the not knowing if he’s OK or how bad he’s hurt. Is he dead?"
Those who know the boy described him as being responsible, humble and unlikely to be a runaway. He’s an A student, a Boy Scout, a student of the jiujitsu martial art and a devout Mormon who attends church each Sunday.
"He’s always smiling and happy," said Lynn Wilson, counseling coordinator at Kamaile Academy. "He does his own thing. He’s very quiet … and he loves his mom."
Kapono Nahinu, leader of Kalani Vierra’s church youth group, described the teenager as responsible and respectful, while Nahinu’s wife, Brandi, said he’s kind and loving.
"It’s unlike him to just run away," Kapono Nahinu said.
Lynn Mitchell of 808 Gracie Fighter said Vierra is dedicated, athletic and tough, having never skipped a class since starting at the jiujitsu studio nine months ago.
"Even bigger guys think twice before going up against him," she said.
A post on the 808 Gracie Fighter Facebook page says, "The academy is not the same without Kalani. Everyone misses you!!!! We won’t stop looking!!!!"
Vierra recalled that her son last week asked for permission to go on the hike, and she said OK. He’d hiked up the mountains near her Ala Akau Street home three or four times previously, sometimes with a friend, sometimes alone.
This time he was alone. The boy left at about 6:30 a.m. Saturday, after saying goodbye. His mother said she called him at 11:28 that morning to check on him, and he sounded fine.
"He said, ‘I’m coming down,’ and he hung up before I could ask him anything else," she said.
She called him again at 12:15 p.m., and the call went to voicemail.
"That’s when I got worried," she said, adding that she soon called authorities.
Honolulu Fire Department acting Capt. David Jenkins said a helicopter and crews searched the trail and adjacent areas and ridgelines for four days without finding anything. The search is suspended until there’s new information, he said.
Meanwhile, Dolly Vierra, with friends and supporters at her side, tries to stay upbeat.
"I have a gut feeling he’s alive," she said. "By the grace of God, someone will find him. I have a really strong feeling he will be found in the next couple of days."
The teenager is described as Caucasian, 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighing 120 pounds, with short dark hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a dark blue shirt with white print, shorts and a light-blue backpack.
Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-3800.
Volunteers interested in joining Wednesday’s search should show up at 8:30 a.m. (or later) at 808 Gracie Fighter in Makaha at 84-1170 Farrington Highway, Suite A2-AA.
