In the late spring of 2020, the disappearance of 28-year-old Clare Maney from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, left a community and her loved ones in a state of profound concern and uncertainty. Maney was officially reported missing on June 15, 2020, after friends and family were unable to make contact with her. The last known sighting of her was the previous day, when surveillance footage captured her walking along the shoreline at Old Kona Airport Park around 9:30 in the morning, carrying dive fins.
Authorities noted that she was in need of medical attention, adding a layer of urgency to the situation. Described as being 5-feet-11-inches tall, weighing about 145 pounds, with a fair complexion, blonde hair, and blue eyes, her image was circulated with hopes of a swift and safe return.
The response to her disappearance was immediate and extensive. The Hawaii County Police Department, along with the Hawaii County Fire and Rescue teams and the U.S. Coast Guard, launched a comprehensive search effort. The search encompassed vast areas along the coast from South Kona through Old Airport Park and beyond, utilizing a county helicopter, a rescue boat, and a Coast Guard rescue chopper to scan the coastline and the surrounding waters. Despite the thoroughness of their efforts, which continued until dark each day, the search yielded little. After several days of intensive searching, the active search was suspended, pending any new information or leads. The only potential clue recovered during the multi-day search was a single dive fin.
Clare Maney was remembered by those who knew her as an adventurous and outgoing individual with a passion for the outdoors. A graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, she had worked as a guide for Hawaii Outdoor Guides for the past year. Friends described her as someone who could make friends with anyone and genuinely cared about others, always willing to have meaningful conversations. She was an experienced and talented freediver and had aspirations of starting a business that would offer a complete outdoor experience for freedivers on the Big Island. In the time leading up to her disappearance, she had been contemplating a return to the mainland and had spoken to her cousin about a planned summer road trip. The search for her ultimately ended without success, and her family shared the heartbreaking news that she was presumed to be gone. The circumstances surrounding her disappearance remain unresolved, leaving a lingering sense of loss and unanswered questions for her family, friends, and the community she had become a part of.Last Seen: Jun 15, 2020
