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A 33-year-old man from Hawaii lost his life after venturing into a restricted area of the Kīlauea caldera within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. This incident prompted a challenging overnight search and rescue mission in treacherous terrain, according to park officials.
On February 26, National Park Service teams responded to the caldera’s eastern side. At the time, officials confirmed that the volcano was dormant.
Rescue teams continued their efforts throughout the night, finally locating the man the next day. On February 27, responders used a helicopter to evacuate him from the site and transported him to Hilo Benioff Medical Center, where he was declared deceased.
Authorities have informed the man’s family, and his identity is being kept confidential for privacy reasons.
Spectators observe the 21st eruption of Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano on May 11, 2025, in Kailua Kona, Hawaii. (Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images)
The death comes as officials continue to warn visitors about the risks of venturing beyond designated areas, particularly amid heightened interest in Kīlauea’s ongoing eruption activity.
In December, two trespassers were caught on camera hiking dangerously close to an active eruption inside a restricted zone of the park. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory told Hawaii News Now at the time that no U.S. Geological Survey scientists or other authorized personnel were in that closed area.
Lou Ettore, who runs the eruption-tracking media company Two Pineapples with his wife, Anna, told the outlet the incidents appear to be fueled by social media attention.
Visitors watch the eruption of the Kilauea volcano at the Devastation Trail overlook on March 11, 2025, in Volcano National Park, Hawaii. (William Campbell/Getty Images)
“I think it’s really just for the clicks, just for the views to grab attention to themselves,” Ettore said.
The couple said they documented nine trespassing incidents over the past year.
“We’re seeing it more often now than we have in the past,” Ettore added. “There are dozens, if not hundreds, of videos and images, all from out-of-bounds, being posted on all platforms nonstop.”
In another close call last June, a 30-year-old Boston man survived a 30-foot fall after leaving Byron Ledge Trail in an attempt to get closer to erupting lava. A tree broke his fall and likely prevented him from plunging another 100 feet to the caldera floor, according to the National Park Service.
First responders at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park prepare for a nighttime search and rescue operation after a visitor fell 30 feet from a cliff near Byron Ledge Trail in June 2025. (F. Aiana/NPS )
Kīlauea’s eruption, which began Dec. 23, 2024, has drawn a surge of visitors to the park, officials said. During one June episode, lava fountains soared more than 1,000 feet into the air, according to officials. The active eruption area remains closed due to serious hazards.
Kīlauea caldera features unstable cliff edges, hidden cracks and other dangerous volcanic terrain, according to the National Park Service. Officials urge visitors to stay on marked trails and overlooks, avoid climbing over barriers and comply with all warning and trespassing signs.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
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