Body recovered after 33-year-old man entered restricted area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Search and rescue teams worked through the night in steep and unstable ground before locating the individual on Feb. 27.
Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano marked one year of ongoing eruptions on Dec. 24, spewing lava more than 1,000 feet into the air. The USGS said the south vent reached up to 1,400 feet during the event.
A 33-year-old Hawaii resident died after entering a closed area within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, according to the National Park Service (NPS).
Park personnel responded to the incident on Feb. 26 on the east side of the KÄ«lauea caldera that had been officially closed to visitors due to hazardous conditions, even though the volcano was not actively erupting at the time. Search and rescue teams worked through the night in steep and unstable ground before locating the individual on Feb. 27. He was airlifted from the area and taken to Hilo Benioff Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased.
View released on May 22, 2018, of spatter and splashing build ramparts in Kilauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone. A new eruption started Wednesday night. (File Photo by USGS/UPI | License Photo)
Officials have notified the man’s family and are withholding his name at this time. The circumstances surrounding how he entered the restricted area are still under investigation.
In a news release, the NPS reiterated that the KÄ«lauea caldera contains inherently dangerous terrain, including unstable cliff edges and volcanic features, even when volcanic activity is paused. Visitors are urged to stay within designated open areas and comply with all closures and warning signs to avoid life-threatening situations.
This incident underscores the ongoing risks associated with volcanic landscapes. While KÄ«lauea’s summit eruption episodes pause and resume over time, hazards such as rugged ground, sudden drops and volcanic gas persist in closed zones designated for public safety.
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