KAINALIU — Search officials, along with family and friends of Deborah “Debby” Wiley, are urging residents and property owners to assist in the effort to find the 67-year-old missing woman by regularly searching their property and keeping a lookout for her.
“We want to get the message to every property in the search radius,” said Wiley’s son, Justin Wiley. “And the message is ‘Debby’s still missing.’”
Debby Wiley, who has Alzheimer’s disease, was seen around 6 a.m. Wednesday walking up Captain Cook Road “A.” Prior to that, she was seen Sunday by her husband in the yard of their home near Hind Road in Captain Cook. Justin Wiley said his mother is very friendly, but could be paranoid with memory impaired. He said the woman could be hiding under someone’s house or on property.
She is described as 5 feet, 5 inches tall weighing 140 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a dark blue long-sleeved shirt, blue jeans and grayish-white tennis shoes, police have said.
Saturday morning, about 50 people gathered at Lanakila Congregational Church to discuss strategies for the search, pray for Debby Wiley’s return and set out for day six of search and outreach efforts.
Those outreach efforts are a crucial part of making community members aware of the search and reminding them to keep on the lookout, organizers said.
Jasmine (Hooper) Staup, command leader, told the crowd that the people who saw Debby Wiley the last time she was seen didn’t know she was lost and that one person who had gone out canvassing also reported that people didn’t know she was missing.
“We did a really, really good job getting the word out,” Staup said. “But there’s still pockets of people.”
Justin Wiley told the crowd the plan was to go throughout the search area from property to property, asking residents to search their homes and properties.
“We have the roads covered,” he said, “but private property we don’t have covered, and she’s been found on private property before.”
Justin Wiley said the search radius runs between St. John’s Road in Kealakekua and Koa Road in Captain Cook, and anybody driving through that area should be extra vigilant.
He also reiterated the crucial need for property owners in that area to check in the morning and evening around their homes as well as in and under any structures and also spread the word to neighbors in the area.
The outreach also includes asking residents to listen for any sounds that indicate a person might be on the property.
That includes sustained dog barking, Justin Wiley said. Barking that goes on for minutes, he said, is a “great sign” that someone is on the land.
Report any sightings
If someone sees Debby Wiley, officials said it’s crucial to stay with her and keep eyes on her.
Dave Mahon, fire equipment operator with Hawaii Fire Department, said that if someone sees Debby Wiley and believes it to be her, they should stop and make contact with her and, if it is her, call 911.
Search organizers also ask that people who make contact with the woman stay with her until responders arrive.
Those who receive reports of sightings or other information are asked to pass that on by calling the church at 322-3346, which forwards calls to a cell phone. Justin Wiley asked information be called in, as that number does not receive text messages.
Reports of sightings should include the name and contact information for the person who made the sighting. That information should also include where Debby Wiley was seen, what she was wearing, what direction she was coming from and headed in as well as the time and date of the sighting.
Justin Wiley added they will continue to need volunteers in the coming days to continue search and outreach efforts. He said people are meeting every day at 8 a.m. at Lanakila Congregational Church until his mother is found.
Those interested can call the church to get more information on how they can help.
As volunteers on Saturday took to the area to spread the word and keep the effort going as the search entered its sixth day, Justin Wiley said the family remains hopeful, citing his mother’s resilience.
“There’s great hope,” he said, “but it’s no time to slow down.”
