News
August 17, 2023 | 7:45 p.m
Maui locals are desperately clinging to hope that their loved ones will resurface safely, more than a week after devastating wildfires devastated parts of Maui and killed at least 111 people.
They’ve launched online trackers, including the Maui Fires People Finder Google spreadsheet and the Maui Fires People Finder Facebook page — a grim and heartbreaking tally of everyone still missing.
The comprehensive table, released Aug. 8, has grown to nearly 6,000 entries, making it the go-to place for people with good news to share while officers continue to search devastated neighbors for any trace of human remains.
Sharon VanGiesen, 60, of Sonoma County, California, is one such user who is searching for her ex-husband Michael Misaka, 61, who lived at Puiki Place in Lahaina.
“His home is gone, we know that. He lived where all the houses have disappeared,” VanGiesen told The Post on Thursday. “It’s day nine. We don’t know what to think.”
VanGiesen said Misaka was from Lahaina and was a popular bartender. His concerned family kept checking Erickson’s spreadsheet for updates on the missing father.
The Maui Fires People Locator table lists more than 1,000 people still missing. Michael Misaka, 61, is among those missing after his home on Puiki Place in Lahaina burned down. Facebook/Megan Sweeting
“I lost hope until last night when an old classmate told us he had received a text message from Mike on Thursday saying he had gotten out and left [in] Inland. But then that person couldn’t find the SMS, so it’s not verified,” VanGiesen lamented.
“I text Mike every hour and I hope he responds and says he’s safe.”
VanGiesen added that her daughter Megan submitted her DNA to Hawaiian officials in case it could be used to identify him – should he be among the dead.
Laura Hudelson, 73, of Florence, Arizona, is another person who frantically searches the chart several times a day hoping to find out what happened to her son Phillip, 56, a bartender who worked in the city.
“We called the morgue, called the jail, called the hospitals, called the Red Cross, spoke to the Maui Police Department and I’ve posted to Facebook countless times,” Hudelson said. “I have him on the list [the Google Doc] someone put together, which I check three times a day. I just checked it at the time and it still says ‘not found’.”
Phillip Hudelson, 56, remains missing with his family fearing the worst. Facebook/Laura Hudelson
Despite the lack of updates, Hudleson says she’s trying to stay positive, recalling that her son is always someone who helps others and probably would have joined the local volunteer service before he checked into an animal shelter.
However, it’s proving harder to stay positive as more days go by without an update on Philip.
“I remain very optimistic, that’s all I can do at this point without going completely nuts,” Hudleson said. “On Monday someone said they saw him walking on Front Street but that cannot be confirmed. It’s all hearsay.”
The need for comfort was exactly why Ellie Erickson from Kihei created the chart in the first place.
Many of these entries relate to the people of Lahaina, a resort town of 13,000 that was burned to the ground. New York Post
“I really hope it can become a place where people who are concerned about their friends and loved ones when they know someone is safe can come here and give people peace of mind,” said Erickson of Kihei last week versus KHON2.
“I just hope it helps people come together and find people faster so they don’t have to go through thousands of comments. It should just streamline that process.”
In Erickson’s file, people can submit names and details of when their loved ones last heard from them. The table is updated periodically as the individual is located by family members or officials.
The chart was also promoted by the Hawaii State Department of Health as a useful resource for residents as cell phone coverage remains poor on the island.
The state search has still only combed about 45% of the devastated area. James Keivom
In particular, reports have confirmed that scores of people have been found or are still missing from shelters for former residents of Lahaina, the historic city that was once home to more than 13,000 people and now lies in utter ruins.
Because Hawaii Gov. Josh Green previously said about 1,300 people were still missing, the state’s estimate appears to be higher than Erickson’s in its chart, which lists about 1,021 people missing as of Thursday afternoon.
Though unofficial, the chart appears to be the only one affected loved ones can refer to at the moment, as experts warned that identifying the bodies of the deceased could take years given the devastation caused by the fire.
Officials continue to believe the death toll in searches for bodies will mount and many bodies are charred beyond recognition. James Keivom
“It’s very similar to what you see in a war zone or what we saw on 9/11,” the governor told CNN, noting that only 45% of the disaster area was searched with teams of 41 cadaver dogs.
Maui County officials publicly named the victims Tuesday as Robert Dyckman, 74, and Buddy Jantoc, 79. On Wednesday, they identified three other elderly victims: Melva Benjamin, 71, Virginia Dofa, 90, and Alfredo Galinato, 79.
Because the government has only publicly confirmed five victims, Hawaiian officials are asking people whose relatives are missing to submit DNA samples to help in the identification process.
Many whose relatives were living in Lahaina at the time of the fire have since been spotted going to police stations to submit DNA in hopes of one day learning the fate of their loved ones.
Load More…
{{#isDisplay}} {{/isDisplay}}{{#isAniviewVideo}} {{/isAniviewVideo}}{{#isSRVideo}} {{/isSRVideo}}
https://nypost.com/2023/08/17/desperate-maui-locals-turn-to-database-to-hunt-for-the-missing/?utm_source=url_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site%20buttons&utm_campaign=site%20buttons
Copy the URL to share
Comments are closed.