Close friends wait anxiously by the water for word from the search team; among them Sergio Goes' girlfriend. Goes is a well-known Hawaii photographer who also co-founded the Cinema Paradise independent film festival and helped start the Next Door club.

Pacific Basin Communications' John Heckathorn has worked with Goes on numerous shoots and raves about his talent.

"He was one of the town's premiere photographers," Heckathorn said, "someone you could count on to go on assignment and come back with something great."

The fire department began the search for Goes just after 3:30 Friday afternoon, scouring the waters about two miles from the Halekoa hotel. Fire officials say Goes was on a boat with four friends. They were free diving in the area of a shipwreck when Goes disappeared.

"We have our helicopter in the area, we have divers in the water, " said Capt. Frank Johnson. "Water safety is also assisting us with the operation, the Coast Guard and the Honolulu Police Department has a helicopter in the air also."

Divers searched for hours in waters as deep as 110 feet but as of 7:30 Friday night, there was still no sign of Goes and darkness forced them to halt the search. Goes' stunning photographs have been featured many times in publications like Honolulu Magazine and in several in-flight magazines.

He's touched a lot of lives with his loving cheerful spirit and friends say if he is gone, it will be a huge loss.

"Hundreds of people are going to miss him and this whole town is gonna miss his energy," said Heckathorn.

Goes was noticeably absent at the Society of Professional Journalists banquent Friday night, where he won an award for his photography.

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