(article by TANIA LOPEZ for Newsday)
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/long-beach-teacher-disappears-while-surfing-1.3048265A Long Beach High School math teacher and founder of the campus surf club disappeared Sunday while surfing off the coast of South Sumatra, Indonesia, family members said.
Daniel Bobis, 32, was in an area where waves as high as 9 feet were reported Sunday off a beach popular with surfers when his board washed up on shore, according to a Facebook note by his wife, Rachel.
In her note, which was posted at about 7:30 a.m. Sunday, Bobis, who was with her husband in South Sumatra, wrote she was having trouble obtaining a helicopter for a search and that the U.S. consulate had been contacted.
MORE: His wife’s Facebook plea | Photos
A dive team was scheduled to do a search this morning, according to Bobis.
Meanwhile, Daniel Bobis’ disappearance sparked a vigil last night that attracted more than 200 friends, relatives and high school students to the Long Beach boardwalk.
Dave Juan, the co-owner of the Unsound Surf Shop in Long Beach, said Bobis is popular among the seaside city’s surf community.
“The whole town is in shock. The kids love him,” Juan said. “He was in the water all the time” and is known as an experienced surfer.
Daniel Bobis created Long Beach High School’s first surf team, said Teresa Greifenberger, whose son Jonathan, 15, is on the team.
“He’s loved by everybody in the neighborhood,” she said. “He’s an amazing guy.”
Long Beach Public Schools Superintendent Dave Weiss issued a statement yesterday calling Bobis a well-respected colleague who is a vital part of the school community and one who is well-liked by students and staff. Weiss said the district went as far as seeking out Sen. Charles Schumer’s help.
In a statement, Schumer (D-N.Y.) said, “No stone should be left unturned” and that Mr. Bobis’ family “must have every iota of assistance available from the U.S. government during this difficult time.”
Attempts to reach Rachel Bobis at the surf resort where the couple is staying with another couple were unsuccessful. A man who said he was the husband of the resort owner said he and others, including Rachel Bobis, had spent all of Sunday looking for Daniel Bobis.
The resort owner’s husband, who did not wish to be identified, said last night they were waiting for the sun to rise to resume the search. Other guests at the surfing resort were joining in as well, he said.
Reached at home, Bobis’ mother, Gloria, of Long Beach, said she was too overwhelmed to comment on her son’s disappearance but she said that local and U.S. government authorities had been “very helpful.”
Rep. Peter King said he is speeding up the process to get Bobis’ mother a renewed passport. King said Bobis should have her passport renewed by this morning so she could travel to Indonesia.
King (R-Seaford) also said he has been in contact with the State Department and the U.S. Embassy to see what additional help they could provide in locating Bobis.
“We’re asking the State Department to do anything they can,” King said last night.
Another Rachel Bobis Facebook note said Daniel Bobis’ father was on his way to Indonesia yesterday.
The remote and rural beach is located in the southwestern-most part of the island of Sumatra, northwest of Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, on the Indian Ocean.
Donations to help in the search for Daniel Bobis, and to help his family travel to Indonesia, can be made at PayPal.com by logging in and sending funds to dannybobisfund@gmail.com.
Please donate if you can and follow THIS TUMBLR for updates on the search for Danny. Thank you SO much to everyone who has reblogged my post from yesterday <3
My friend Danny Bobis went missing 24 hours ago while surfing in Sumatra, Indonesia.
Danny is the drummer for LIHC band Cipher and a math teacher at Long Beach High School, as well as a surf team coach. I’ve known him for close to 12 years and I can’t even believe this is happening.
Here is the note his wife Rachel posted on Facebook this morning. Please contact her if you have any media connections.
URGENT: friends and loved ones, about 10 hours ago, while surfing in Sumatra, my husband Daniel Bobis went missing. His leash broke and we found his board and he has not returned. We looked all day but it is now Sunday evening here. There is a dive team going out tomorrow to look for him. We are trying to get a helicopter but it is very difficult here. If you know someone at NBC or somewhere or something that can help, please e mail me rachelbobis@gmail.com. Please do not e mail with well wishes, only serious help inquiries. The US consulate and everyone in Sumatra has been notified. Internet and phone are horrible here. I will update when I can . Please please pray for us. I am here with Brian Lonergan and Danny’s dad will be flying in as soon as possible. We are at Damai Bungalows in South Sumatra. Please pray. I love you all and thank you - Rachel
Also a donation fund has been set up to aid in the search for Daniel Bobis. Funds will be allocated to any resources that will support the search including helicopter rental, local manpower, travel expenses, etc. All donations will be given directly to the family. Time is of the essence. Thank you for your support in these crucial hours. To donate, log in to Paypal and send funds to dannybobisfund@gmail.com
The area they are in is extremely remote and they are having trouble getting assistance for a rescue effort for Danny. The US Consulate does not have access to a helicopter, only giving Rachel phone numbers for helicopter rental places, and have been of little help.
Reblog if you can please!
