On a summer day in 1972, 42-year-old Moses Kahiapo and his friend, Arthur Allen, embarked on a fishing trip from which they would never return. The two men launched their 17-foot white Reinell fiberglass double-hull boat from the bustling Heeia Kea Pier in Kaneohe, Hawaii, with plans to troll for aku in the deep offshore waters, some 15 to 20 miles from the coast.
The exact date of their departure is not precisely known due to the vague nature of the available information, but it is recorded as August 16, 1972. As the day wore on and they failed to come back to shore, concern for their well-being grew among family and friends. The familiar sight of Allen's truck, bearing Hawaii license plate 59-041, left behind in the pier's parking lot, served as a somber reminder of their absence.
Following their failure to return, an extensive search and rescue operation was launched. The vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean was scoured by air and sea in the hopes of finding the two missing fishermen. For weeks, the search continued, a period of anxious waiting for any news. The breakthrough in the case, though not the one hoped for, came on October 3, 1972. The United States Coast Guard located Kahiapo and Allen's boat abandoned at sea. The discovery of the empty vessel confirmed the gravest fears of those who knew them, yet it offered no answers as to the fate of the two men. The circumstances that led to their disappearance and the reasons why their boat was found adrift and unoccupied remain unknown.
The case of Moses Kahiapo and Arthur Allen has since become one of Hawaii's long-standing mysteries of the sea. Despite the recovery of their boat, the investigation by the Honolulu Police Department, under case number 72-V85368, could not definitively determine what happened to the two friends. With no further evidence or leads, their disappearance has left a void in the lives of their families and the community. The narrative of their final fishing trip is a poignant reminder of the unpredictable nature of the ocean and the enduring pain of unresolved loss. The overview of the case is one of a simple fishing excursion that ended in tragedy, leaving behind questions that have lingered for decades.Last Seen: Aug 16, 1972
