Friends, family hold vigil for lost surfer

More than 200 friends and relatives of a missing surfer gathered on the Long Beach boardwalk Sunday evening, raising candles in the hope that he would be found on another beach, half a world away.

"We love you, Danny!" they shouted, holding each other and wiping away tears as mist rolled in across the sand.

Daniel Bobis -- a math teacher, and coach of the Long Beach High School surf team -- had disappeared riding a wave in Indonesia.

"This is a very, very powerful and very, very special time," Rabbi Eli Goodman of the BACH Jewish Center in Long Beach told the crowd. "They are looking for him as we speak. Even though we are very far away physically, we are very, very close, spiritually."

Organizers of the vigil encouraged those who attended to donate money to a PayPal account created to hire a helicopter to search for Bobis, and to help his mother, Gloria Bobis, travel to Indonesia.

Friends and students spoke in turns, climbing onto a boardwalk bench to share their thoughts and prayers.

"Mr. Bobis formed us as a surf team," said Hayli Weitz, 15, standing alongside a handful of other team members, some too overcome to speak. "We know he'll be back for the next season."

The group later vocalized a yoga sound, "hariom," for the coach who introduced the practice of yoga to his students, and recruited his mother to teach them.

Gloria Bobis attended the vigil, but did not speak.

The sound resonated over the gentle rhythm of small waves breaking on the sand.

Family friend Nicholas Meola, 60, of Long Beach, led the intonation.

"I'm sure Daniel is proud of all of you," he said.

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.