Hawaii resident dies after entering closed area at Volcanoes National Park
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii - A 33-year-old Hawaii resident died after entering a restricted area within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, according to authorities.
According to a news release from Tuesday, the National Park Service responded to an incident in a closed area on the east side of Kīlauea caldera within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on February 26.
Following an overnight search on "steep and hazardous terrain," the rescue team located the 33-year-old individual on February 27.
He was airlifted to Hilo Benioff Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, per the authorities.
The Hawaii resident's name has not been released, and the incident is still under investigation.
Kīlauea volcano is not actively erupting
In their news release the authorities noted that the Kīlauea volcano was not erupting at the time of the incident, though the area was closed off.
The Kīlauea caldera is a large, recently formed crater at the summit of the active shield volcano.
Kīlauea has been erupting episodically since 2024, according to the US Geographical survey's website.
Cover photo: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory