Keauhou man, 88, found safe in Kawaihae after brief search

An 88-year-old Keauhou man was reported missing early Wednesday after he was last seen during the early morning hours at a residence on Maliko Street, and by afternoon Hawaii Police Department officers had located James Gramlich in Kawaihae in good health.

The case moved across West Hawaii in a matter of hours, from Keauhou on the south Kona side to Kawaihae farther up the coast. While both communities sit on Hawaii Island’s west side, they are separated by a substantial stretch of coastline and road network, which is part of what made the public alert so important while officers and residents searched.

Police first asked for help locating Gramlich after he was reported missing from the Keauhou area on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. Later that same day, the department updated the public that he had been found and thanked the community for its assistance. The quick turnaround showed how fast a missing-person case involving an older adult can become time-sensitive, especially when distance, confusion or medical needs may turn a short absence into a serious emergency.

That urgency is reinforced by aging and dementia safety guidance. The National Institute on Aging says many people with Alzheimer’s disease wander away from home or caregivers. The Alzheimer’s Association says wandering is dangerous and can be life-threatening, and its safety materials say six in 10 people living with dementia will wander at least once. One of the association’s fact sheets says that if a wandering person is not found within 24 hours, up to half may suffer serious injury or death.

For West Hawaii families, the Gramlich case is a reminder that the first hours matter most. A fast alert can help narrow the search area, bring in neighbors and law enforcement quickly, and reduce the chance that an older relative will be exposed to traffic, heat, dehydration or other hazards while away from home.

The Hawaii Police Department’s media-release archive shows the Gramlich case was one of several recent missing-person updates on the island in which people were later found and the department publicly thanked the community for help.