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THE disappearance of Hannah Kobayashi on November 11, 2024, led to a massive search effort, with her family travelling from Hawaii to LA to help.
A month later, on December 11, Hannah was thankfully found safe and sound, in no small part due to her loving sister Sydni.
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Hannah Kobayahi gained international attention after her loved ones begged for help finding her.
She was found unharmed after she crossed into Mexico on November 12, her family confirmed.
In a statement released on December 12, they said: “We are incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe.
“This past month has been an unimaginable ordeal for our family, and we kindly ask for privacy as we take the time to heal and process everything we have been through.
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“We want to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported us during this difficult time.
“Your kindness and concern have meant the world to us.”
Who is Sydni Kobayashi?
Sydni Kobayashi is the 32-year-old sister of Hannah, the Hawaiian photographer who went missing in November 2024 while traveling to New York City.
Throughout the ordeal of her sister’s disappearance, Sydni played a crucial role in the search efforts and acted as a spokesperson for the family.
She actively participated in the hunt for her sister, traveling from Hawaii to Los Angeles with other family members to coordinate volunteer search efforts.
Public statements
Sydni consistently advocated for her sister’s safety and well-being, expressing concern about the possibility of human trafficking or foul play.
She said: “There is a possibility she could have been trafficked or she met the wrong person out in LA.
“There are a bunch of different things that ran through our heads.”
When authorities declared Hannah a ‘voluntary missing person’ Sydni voiced her dissatisfaction with this conclusion, saying: “We’re just as confused and just as frustrated more than anything now.”
With the family lawyer Sara Azari adding: “They just reached this conclusion… without showing [Hannah’s family] any footage.
“It takes a lot more digging and investigation to be able to say it’s voluntary.”
Really, really hold onto the ones you love, hold onto them tightly. Nobody prepares you for this type of situation
Sydni Kobayashi
Sydni emphasized her sister’s good nature, insisting that Hannah would never intentionally put her family through such distress.
She said: “[Hannah] is probably one of the most grounded and kindest people I’ve ever met.
“She would never do this to our family and put us through this. This whole thing is mind-boggling.”
Sydni urged the public to continue posting online pleas for Hannah’s safe return and to keep searching.
‘Two tragedies at once’
The Kobayashi family faced a devastating blow during the search when Hannah and Sydni’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, took his own life on November 24, 2024.
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Sydni shared heartfelt tributes to her late father on social media, expressing her grief and love for him.
She described the pain of losing her father while still searching for her sister as “two tragedies at once”.
Sydni said: “Being out there… it is a whole other world, especially the places we were looking.
“I can only imagine, as a parent, thinking your daughter… was involved in that. Hawaii is so family-oriented.
“He took his life … It was just because it was too much for him. He was running on little to no sleep. He was so determined to find her.
“He was caring so much about finding her and taking care of everyone else, he forgot to take care of himself. He wasn’t speaking out about what he was feeling internally.
The disappearance of Hannah Kobayashi
HANNAH Kobayashi sparked a massive search after missing a flight to New York during a layover in Los Angeles. Here is a timeline of events in the case.
Friday, November 8: Hannah leaves her home in Maui and arrives in Los Angeles for a connecting flight to New York City. She has 42 minutes to make the flight at 11 pm.
Saturday, November 9: Hannah is meant to land at JFK airport in New York City at 7 am but never arrives. She is seen at a bookshop at The Grove, an hour from the Los Angeles airport.
Sunday, November 10: Hannah sends a message saying she’s scared and worried about someone trying to steal her money and identity, alongside several other cryptic texts. She’s later seen at a Nike event at The Grove in Los Angeles.
Monday, November 11: Hannah’s phone data puts her back at LAX. She posts a picture on her Instagram account from the Nike event. Her phone is then turned off.
Tuesday, November 12: Unbeknownst to her family, Hannah catches a bus from Union Station down to San Ysidro, San Diego, and crosses the border into Tijuana, Mexico.
Wednesday, November 13: Family files missing person’s report and flies to LA to search for her. They are informed she was last seen at Pico Station in Downtown Los Angeles with an unidentified male.
Sunday, November 24: After scouring LA’s Skid Row and other areas for nearly a week, Hannah’s dad Ryan takes his own life and is found dead in a Los Angeles parking lot.
Monday, December 2: Cops announce Hannah was spotted in surveillance footage crossing into Mexico from the US on November 12 and say she wanted to step away from modern connectivity. The investigation is paused.
Tuesday, December 3: Hannah’s family vows to keep looking for her in a statement released by their attorney.
Wednesday, December 11: The attorney of the Kobayashi family announced Hannah was located safe.
“I truly think he just broke. I really want to let the public know that we need them now more than ever. Our family is grieving. We didn’t even have time to process it all.
“We are trying the best that we can to process the loss of my dad and continue to search for Hannah.”
Advocacy for mental health
In the wake of her father’s suicide, Sydni used her platform to advocate for mental health awareness.
She emphasized the importance of asking for help when struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts.
Sydni said: “It’s OK to reach out for help.
“Really, really hold onto the ones you love, hold onto them tightly. Nobody prepares you for this type of situation.
“If [Hannah] is reading this, I really hope that she knows that we are here for her and we want her home safely.
“We love her, we support her, we just want to know she is OK.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
