33-year-old Hawaiʻi resident airlifted from closed Kīlauea caldera dies

Park rangers and search-and-rescue teams located a 33-year-old Hawaiʻi Island resident inside a closed area on the east side of the Kīlauea caldera, airlifted him from the scene on Feb. 27 and transported him to Hilo Benioff Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased. National Park Service personnel first responded to a report of a person in the closed area on Feb. 26.

The park said “search and rescue personnel conducted operations overnight in steep and hazardous terrain” as crews worked through the night to find the man. The rescue took place within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park’s closed east-side caldera zone, an area park officials say contains unstable cliff edges and volcanic features.

The National Park Service reiterated the safety message that “Kīlauea caldera contains hazardous terrain, including unstable cliff edges and volcanic features,” and added that “visitors are reminded to remain in designated open areas and comply with all closures.” Park officials have notified the family of the deceased and are withholding the victim’s name pending privacy considerations; the incident remains under investigation.

Officials and local reporting noted the volcano was not erupting at the time of the incident. One outlet added that the most recent lava eruption episode ended Feb. 15. A U.S. Geological Survey helicopter overflight on Feb. 26 produced imagery used in coverage; the USGS said, “As seen in this overview photo of the crater looking to the west-southwest, conditions were extremely hazy during the flight, presenting a challenge as the scientists attempted to capture mapping photos.”

Local coverage has placed the rescue in a broader public-safety context, with officials pointing to similar rescues and close calls in recent months as visitor traffic surges to the summit during eruptive activity. The overnight search-and-rescue effort and subsequent airlift to Hilo Benioff Medical Center underscore the operational strain of responding to incidents in remote, closed caldera terrain.

The National Park Service is leading an investigation into the circumstances of the incident. Key unanswered items for investigators include the cause of death, the precise reasons the individual entered the closed east-side area, and which agencies participated in the airlift and overnight search. Park officials said they will release more information as the investigation allows.