Body off coast IDd as Hayward youth
The San Mateo County coroner’s office on Tuesday identified a body found floating Sunday near the Half Moon Bay Ritz Carlton as a Hayward High School football star who went missing.
Naphtali Moi Moi Finau, 18, was boogie boarding on the afternoon of April 18 at Poplar Beach when his boogie board shot out of the water without him, his friends told authorities. Minutes later, they saw him 40 feet offshore, struggling to stay afloat, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.
Strong currents and high surf kept Finau’s friends from reaching him. Fog and dangerous ocean conditions hampered rescue efforts, authorities said.
In the following days, Finau’s family and friends gathered on the shoreline, hoping for closure. He was a star athlete, an active member of a Mormon church in Hayward and the youngest of four children.
“He would literally help someone with groceries to the car,” said Justin Benson, Finau’s uncle. “If someone needed a couple dollars at the store, he would take it out of the wallet and give it to him. He didn’t use drugs, no alcohol. He was silent, strong, loyal and trustworthy.”
While physically imposing, Finau was quiet and shy around people he didn’t know, Benson said. Around his friends and family, though, he was “funny and goofy,” said Hayward High School football coach Justin Redemer.
Finau’s body was recovered Sunday, 10 days after he went missing.
“Our thoughts remain with those closest to this beloved young man who made an unforgettable impact on everyone around him,” Hayward Unified School District spokeswoman Dionicia Ramos said in a statement Tuesday. “The school community is grateful for the overwhelming support they have received over the last couple of weeks.”
Known as “Neff” to friends and family, the interior defensive lineman was set to play for the University of Wyoming’s football team in the fall on a full-ride scholarship.
The GoFundMe page for Finau’s memorial service had raised more than its goal of $20,000 as of Wednesday.
“We have been talking with Naphtali’s family, and our hearts go out to the entire Moi Moi family at this extremely difficult time,” Wyoming head football coach Craig Bohl said in a statement last week. “As a Cowboy Football family, we are all thinking of and praying for Naphtali, his family and his friends.”