As the search went on for Kirk Passmore this week after he was wiped out by a 20-foot wave off Oahu's North Shore, his family seemed to have lost hope. They released a statement that read like an obituary on Thursday.
"He started coming to Hawaii when he was 14 and was an experienced and expert surfer. He was not new to big wave surfing, having surfed most of the well-known big wave locations," his family said.
Passmore, a restaurant bartender and co-owner of a surf shop, went under after last being seen at Alligator Rock in Haleiwa. His damaged surfboard was found down the beach, but there has been no sight of Passmore after the wipeout.
The statement, which included "Kirk Passmore, February 11, 1981 to November 12, 2013," says the California-bred 32-year-old enjoyed many different sports, "but his love was in surfing."
Paddle board pro Jamie Sterling, one of the eyewitnesses, told KHNL, "He was seen swimming down with his feet up above the surface, and we think he broke his eardrum because what happens when you break your eardrum is you have complete loss of balance and you have vertigo."
A search team including the Coast Guard, Ocean Safety lifeguards, the Honolulu Fire Department and fellow surfers searched for Passmore on Wednesday with no luck
A high-surf warning was issued the day of Passmore's disappearance, and to make it worse, he reportedly was not wearing a life vest. Chris Owens, one of the search crew members, said Passmore still could be here if he'd taken safety measures.
The restaurant where Passmore worked, Banzai Sushi Bar, closed for a night out of respect for him.
Passmore is 6-foot-3 and about 185 pounds. He has reddish hair and hazel eyes. He was wearing black board trunks before he went under.
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