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Man Falls To His Death Inside Kīlauea Caldera At Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

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Published Date

July 10, 2017

A 38-year-old man fell to his death into the Kīlauea Caldera at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. He had been walking along the Crater Rim Trail (yellow line)/NPS

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park rangers on Monday were investigating how a 38-year-old man came to fall 250 feet to his death inside Kīlauea Caldera. The man's body was recovered by park rangers early Sunday morning near the bottom of the caldera.

Park spokeswoman Jessica Ferracane said Monday that it was obvious that the man dropped to his death.

"There’s not a trail from that area that goes to the bottom. The top part that he was on on Crater Rim Trail is an open section of the trail," she said in a phone call.

On Saturday, two visitors discovered a backpack on Crater Rim Trail at approximately 7 p.m. Park dispatch was notified, and rangers searched the caldera rim and floor on foot, but were unable to locate the owner. The search was suspended due to unsafe conditions at night and resumed at first light Sunday.

Rangers aboard a helicopter spotted the victim about 250 feet below the caldera rim, in an area that is not currently erupting, around 5:35 a.m. Sunday.

The victim’s name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. 

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