(BIVN) – Hawaiʻi police are looking for a 39-year-old Mountain View man who was the subject of a recent Nixle alert, after he was thought to have gone missing – along with a friend – during a Puna lava field hike. 

Police say the whereabouts of Kasey Bell, who also has an outstanding $3,000 family court bench warrant, are unknown. His friend, 48-year-old Halii Anderson of Pāhoa, returned home in good health. 

Police say Bell and Anderson “went hiking in the lava fields makai of the Leilani Estates subdivision at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 31, telling family they would return at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 1.”

From a Hawaiʻi Police Department news release:

When they failed to return, family members reported them missing to police at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Hawai‘i Fire Department deployed a helicopter and police issued a Nixle alert and conducted a ground search as part of the efforts to locate the men. 

At 8:30 p.m. Thursday evening, the families of the two missing hikers reported that the men had returned home. Police confirmed that 48-year-old Halii Anderson had returned and was in good health. However, Bell, who has an outstanding $3,000 family court bench warrant, left the residence before police could speak with him and confirm he was safe and in good health, thus he is still considered missing.

Police describe Bell as Caucasian with a medium build, 6 feet tall, 189 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes. Bell was last seen wearing a black tank top shirt and blue shorts. 

Police ask anyone with information on Bell’s whereabouts to call the police department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311.