The Coast Guard will continue searching for a man who was pulled underwater by a 'huge' fish 5 days ago and is expanding the 515-mile search to 'bring him home'

• A 63-year-old fisherman went missing Sunday after he went overboard near Hōnaunau, Hawaii. 
• He was last heard saying he hooked a "huge" fish, according to the Hawaii Police Department.
• As of Wednesday, authorities have conducted 20 searches and covered 515 miles, the Coast Guard said.

Authorities continue to search for a 63-year-old fisherman who went overboard early Sunday morning while fishing for ahi tuna off the coast of Hōnaunau, Hawaii.

The Coast Guard and the Hawaii Fire Department are on their fifth day of a joint search-and-rescue effort.

The fisherman, Mark Knittle, was last seen on Sunday morning with his friend while fishing on a boat near Honaunau, according to a press release from the Hawaii Police Department.

The friend claimed to police that he heard Knittle say, "the fish is huge," before he saw Knittle go overboard, the release stated. Knittle is about 5 feet, 10 inches tall and 185 pounds, police said.

Coast Guard and Hawaii Fire Department personnel have been conducting the search-and-rescue mission since Sunday with no immediate plans to halt efforts, a Coast Guard spokesperson told Insider.

On Wednesday, 65 helicopter crew members, along with other personnel, were searching for Knittle until sunset, the spokesperson said.

The Coast Guard tweeted on Wednesday morning that the agency and the fire department have conducted "20 searches over the course of 65 hours, covering 515 miles."

—USCG Hawaii Pacific (@USCGHawaiiPac) January 18, 2023

The "main focus is deploying as many assets as we can on scene to expand the search as much as possible to bring him home," the spokesperson told Insider.

Deep sea fishing experts previously told Insider that, while the sport comes with inherent risks, overboard incidents are rare.

"If you're hand-lining and wrapping your hands incorrectly, you could get pulled over and be along for the ride, and they're strong," Paul Applebom, owner of Kauai Apex Charters, said in an interview.

The Coast Gaurd spokesperson said that searches of this nature are "not new, but not an everyday occurrence."