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Tourist dies after 250-foot fall from cliff on treacherous Hawaii trail

April 8, 2022 / 6:10 AM EDT / CBS/AP

A visitor to Hawaii fell off a cliff and died Wednesday while hiking a ridge line trail near a mountain summit on the east side of Oahu. The 30-year-old traveler fell 250 feet while hiking near the third peak of Mount Olomana, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Thursday.

The name and hometown of the victim was not immediately released.

The Honolulu Fire Department said the man had been hiking with three others, including a Hawaii resident.

The trail is a treacherous, narrow path that snakes along steep cliffs to a series of peaks.

Another tourist fell from the same trail days earlier and suffered a serious head injury. Local rescue crews have been dispatched to the trail five times this year and responded to 13 calls in 2021, according to a fire department spokesperson.

At least five others have died on the trail since 2011 — including  24-year-old Nathan Stowell. In 2018, KGMB-TV reported that Stowell fell about 400 feet while hiking Olomana Trail on Easter Sunday while trying to retrieve a fallen hat.

The trail is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Land and Natural Resources but the agency does not list it on any state websites. The trail has no official signage and hikers usually traverse the cliffs by using a series of unofficial ropes.

"We don't actively manage the trail, nor do we recommend that people traverse it," said Department of Land and Natural Resources spokesperson Dan Dennison.

KGMB-TV reported that officials have tried to stop the spread of online videos luring people to the steep ridges of the mountain range.

"I've seen in that there seems to be a spike in either injuries or in this case fatalities. More and more it's in areas that are not managed, not sanctioned, out-of-bounds kind of areas," state Parks Administrator Curt Cottrell told the station in 2018.

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Tourist dies after fall from cliff on dangerous Hawaii trail

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HONOLULU (AP) — A visitor to Hawaii fell off a cliff and died Wednesday while hiking a ridge line trail near a mountain summit on the east side of Oahu.

The 30-year-old traveler fell 250 feet (76 meters) while hiking near the third peak of Mount Olomana, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Thursday.

The name and hometown of the victim was not immediately released.

The Honolulu Fire Department said the man had been hiking with three others, including a Hawaii resident.

The trail is a treacherous, narrow path that snakes along steep cliffs to a series of peaks.

Another tourist fell from the same trail days earlier and suffered a serious head injury. Local rescue crews have been dispatched to the trail five times this year and responded to 13 calls in 2021, according to a fire department spokesperson. At least five others have died on the trail since 2011.

The trail is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Land and Natural Resources but the agency does not list it on any state websites. The trail has no official signage and hikers usually traverse the cliffs by using a series of unofficial ropes.

“We don’t actively manage the trail, nor do we recommend that people traverse it,” said Department of Land and Natural Resources spokesperson Dan Dennison.

Tourist dies after fall from cliff on dangerous Hawaii trail

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HONOLULU — A visitor to Hawaii fell off a cliff and died Wednesday while hiking a ridge line trail near a mountain summit on the east side of Oahu.

The 30-year-old traveler fell 250 feet (76 meters) while hiking near the third peak of Mount Olomana, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Thursday.

The name and hometown of the victim was not immediately released.

The Honolulu Fire Department said the man had been hiking with three others, including a Hawaii resident.

The trail is a treacherous, narrow path that snakes along steep cliffs to a series of peaks.

Another tourist fell from the same trail days earlier and suffered a serious head injury. Local rescue crews have been dispatched to the trail five times this year and responded to 13 calls in 2021, according to a fire department spokesperson. At least five others have died on the trail since 2011.

The trail is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Land and Natural Resources but the agency does not list it on any state websites. The trail has no official signage and hikers usually traverse the cliffs by using a series of unofficial ropes.

“We don’t actively manage the trail, nor do we recommend that people traverse it,” said Department of Land and Natural Resources spokesperson Dan Dennison.

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Hawaii vacation of 3 friends from East Coast ended in death

HONOLULU — A Hawaii vacation for three tourists from the U.S. East Coast turned deadly after one of them became “psychotically” drunk, his friend testified Wednesday.

Alexander Germany-Wald of Montclair, New Jersey, testified at a preliminary hearing for his college buddy, Benjamin Fleming of Pittsburgh, who is charged with murder in the strangulation of their friend, Abhishek Gupta, also of Pittsburgh.

The three men, friends since college at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, were staying at a Big Island vacation rental last month when Gupta was asked to leave a bar because he was belligerently drunk, Germany-Wald said.

>>>RELATED: Neighbors of Pittsburgh man killed in Hawaii shocked at what happened

Germany-Wald said he took Gupta back to their Kailua-Kona Airbnb, while Fleming stayed behind.

While at the condo, Germany-Wald said, he locked himself in a bedroom because Gupta was “berating” him.

After Fleming returned, Germany-Wald and Gupta got into a fistfight.

“I knew that Mr. Gupta was psychotically drunk and that he was not in control of what he was doing,” Germany-Wald said. “I also knew that I was in grave danger when Mr. Gupta was on top of me.”

Fleming intervened and restrained Gupta, Germany-Wald said, adding that he didn’t see what kind of hold he used to restrain Gupta.

Germany-Wald said while he and Fleming were having a beer in the kitchen, they could hear Gupta snoring. They later noticed Gupta wasn’t breathing and Fleming called 911, Germany-Wald said.

Benjamin Fleming Benjamin Fleming (Hawaii Police)

Police arrived after paramedics said there wasn’t anything more they could do for Gupta, Germany-Wald said.

Fleming and Germany-Wald were arrested. Germany-Wald was later released without being charged.

Before the hearing got underway, Fleming’s defense attorney, Christopher Eggert, asked that his client be allowed to change out of his jail clothes. Eggert said he was concerned about prejudice against Fleming because the hearing was broadcast on Zoom. The judge allowed him to change shirts.

“I think that’s a fair request,” Judge Cynthia Tai said.

The hearing was scheduled to resume Thursday.

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Tourist Survives After Driving Car Off 60-Foot Cliff in Hawaii and Getting Washed Out to Sea

The driver of the Jeep reportedly took a wrong turn down a hill just before going over the edge and landing upside down

Abigail Adams is a Human Interest Writer and Reporter for PEOPLE. She has been working in journalism for seven years.

• A 27-year-old Canadian tourist drove a car over a cliff in the South Point area of Hawaii's Big Island on Sunday, per local reports
• Witnesses said the victim fell out of the Jeep, which landed upside down, and plummeted into the ocean below
• One local fisherman described the area as "super dangerous" for drivers

A Canadian tourist is recovering from injuries he sustained after driving a rental car off a 60-foot cliff early Sunday morning.

Authorities said the 27-year-old man was in the South Point area of the Big Island around 3:30 a.m. local time when the rental car he was driving went over the cliff, according to ABC News and ABC affiliate KITV .

The Jeep is believed to have taken a wrong turn down a hill just before going over the edge and landing upside down, per the outlets.

A nearby fisherman watched the Jeep go over the cliff, reported KITV and FOX affiliate KHON-TV . 

The man then woke up Mike Moody and his dive partner to tell them what he witnessed. “If he didn’t see it, the guy would have died 100%,” Moody told the outlet.

The tourist “fell immediately in the water” upon opening the Jeep’s passenger side door, according to the fisherman. The Canadian man was unable to exit the driver’s side door, which was pinned shut.

Officials offered a similar description of the incident, according to ABC News. They said the man was subsequently swept out to sea, and was found about 100 yards from shore when crews arrived.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

It took crews nearly 30 minutes to reach the remote area where the crash occurred, KHON-TV reported. Hawaii Island Fire Chief Kazuo Todd said crews “coached” the man as he “swam to a safe area.” Ropes were used to help retrieve the man as well.

The Hawaii Fire Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

The Canadian man experienced mild hypothermia and was transported to a local hospital, per the reports. 

He also sustained “facial injuries” and “scratches” as a result of the crash, according to KHON-TV.

The Jeep was reportedly removed from the rocky area on Monday.

One fisherman told KITV that the road on the cliffside can be "super dangerous," adding, "if you don't know what you're doing, you can get yourself in pretty big trouble."

Related Articles

Way Too Many Tourists Are Dying In Hawaii

Editor, HuffPost Hawaii

An Australian man drowned in Hawaii on Thursday, the state's third tourist death in as many days , highlighting an ongoing safety issue in the islands.

On average, nearly one tourist dies a week in Hawaii , according to a special report by Honolulu Civil Beat, typically while engaged in common vacation activities such as swimming, snorkeling and hiking. Many more suffer serious injuries, including spinal cord damage.

Critics say the state doesn't do enough to warn its 8 million annual visitors of inherent dangers, especially those involving water. All three of this week's deaths appear to be water-related.

On Tuesday, a 27-year-old visitor from Japan died while scuba diving off the island of Oahu. Tatsumi Umemura became unresponsive in the water , an Emergency Medical Services spokeswoman told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The cause of death hadn't been determined.

A Chinese tourist, 21-year-old Mei Jun Huang, was pronounced dead Tuesday after sustaining injuries on a waterfall hike in Maui . She was reportedly found by fellow hikers submerged in the waterfall's pond, according to Maui Now.

A 70-year-old Australian snorkeling off Anini Beach on Kauai on Thursday was found floating face-down 20 feet from the shoreline. The victim's identity wasn't released.

Hawaii's rate of drownings per visitor (5.7 per 1 million visitors) is 13 times the national average , according to Civil Beat, and 10 times the drowning rate for Hawaii residents. It dwarfs the visitor-drowning rate of other beach states, including Florida, where there are 0.9 drownings per 1 million visitors.

While some vacationers make bad decisions, like mixing alcohol with water sports, others seem dangerously unaware of the risks.

“There’s a Hawaii vacation mentality that, ‘ I can do anything I want here because I’m in paradise ,’” Jessica Rich, president of the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii, told Civil Beat. “They take risks here that they would never take at home.”

The state says it's in the tricky position of preparing and educating visitors while protecting tourism, the state's largest industry.

“The key word is balance,” Jadie Goo, of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, told Civil Beat. “We want to develop consistent, strong messages to inform visitors. But we don’t want to scare them away.”

With visitor arrivals hitting record numbers in Hawaii , let's hope they figure out that balance soon.

For more on this issue, check out Honolulu Civil Beat's special report, "Dying For Vacation."

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Hawaii From A Bird's-Eye View

Popular in the community, from our partner, more in environment.

This Spot Where Visitors Keep Dying In Hawaii

Another recent death over the holidays brings home the fact far too many Hawaii visitors turn up dead on our beaches. The most recent case is a California Bay Area resident who disappeared while swimming off Anini Beach on Christmas Day here on Kauai. It wasn’t long ago that another California visitor turned up dead at the very same beach.

Anini has no lifeguard and is reef protected but not always calm. There can be strong currents, and if you are on the north end, there is a channel through the reef. The safest place is the south end, which is typically calm.

The 56-year-old Gilroy resident Prakash Shroff disappeared while swimming and was never located despite rescue attempts by boat and in the air. Prakash was swimming with his family, who accompanied him to Kauai. They were some distance offshore. The Kauai Fire Department release said that “they became distressed.” While the rest of his family could return to shore, Schroff was never found.

The Kauai Police Department said, “Our hearts go out to Prakash’s family and friends during this difficult time. We appreciate all agencies and everyone involved in our attempt to locate Prakash.”

Here on Kauai, this is one of a spate of 12 deaths by drowning, which is the primary cause of visitor fatalities in Hawaii. It is all too frequent that we learn of visitor deaths in the ocean here. Both that and our own experiences keep ocean safety on our minds.

We recall an 81-year-old California man who also died at Anini Beach in September while snorkeling. James Pirkle Jr. was found unresponsive snorkeling nearly 300 feet from the shore.

A study snorkel safety study funded by the State of Hawaii found there may be a relationship between travel and snorkel drownings.

The Hawaii state ocean safety website can help.

You’ll find information on which beaches are lifeguarded, current ocean conditions and warnings, where the most injuries occur, and other ocean safety data. The state Department of Health said the website’s goal is “Keeping everyone who goes to the ocean safe.”

If in doubt, don’t go out for real.

It is easy to think that you are comfortable in the ocean, but it is also more powerful than you think, and you can never assume it isn’t.

Top Ten Hawaii Beach Safety Tips.

Issues can include strong currents, wave surges, and seasonal variations in ocean conditions, among others. Be alert, do not turn your back on the ocean, and follow these suggestions for your Hawaii vacation:

1. Minimize risk by heightened awareness and respect for ocean conditions and dangers. 2. Swim at lifeguard-protected Hawaii beaches. Look for other beaches that have rescue station tubes. 3. Follow Hawaii beach warnings and closures. 4. Check with a lifeguard if in any doubt. 5. Observe the ocean conditions before going in. Look for variable conditions and larger-than-expected waves. 6. Review ocean safety brochures found in visitor accommodations. 7. Check ocean safety websites, including the new one and that of the Hawaii Lifeguard Association. 8. Learn about rip currents and how to deal with them. 9. Avoid jellyfish stings – read our updated Hawaii jellyfish update and calendar. (LINK) 10. Don’t traverse wet rocks, especially when waves can appear suddenly. Check for hidden underwater rocks found at many Hawaii beaches.

Can an accidental drowning happen to you?

Drownings can happen at any beach, regardless of your physical condition, age, or other factors. There were 84 drownings in the latest year studied.

There’s always a Hawaii beach accessible, no matter the time of year. But entering the water at the wrong beach at the wrong time of year is a recipe for trouble. Surf conditions change rapidly and both daily and seasonally. It can even change in minutes.

Hawaii’s Deadliest Beaches.

Surprisingly, the deadliest beaches may not be those that first come to mind. Many drownings occur at some of the smoothest water beaches where visitors are snorkeling or swimming.

Hanauma Bay Waikiki Beach Black Rock Kahanamoku Beach and Lagoon Molokini

Most Dangerous Hawaii Beaches.

Some of the most dangerous beaches in terms of injury but not mortality include the following. If your beach isn’t listed, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be concerned:

Makena Beach – Maui Hapuna Beach – Big Island Sandy Beach – Oahu Brennecke Beach (Poipu) – Kauai Laaloa Beach – Big Island

Thank you for paying attention to ocean safety and sharing that with others!

Photo Credit: Anini Beach, Kauai, taken by Beat of Hawaii.

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16 thoughts on “This Spot Where Visitors Keep Dying In Hawaii”

Anini beach faces north so I don’t know what you mean by the south end. Do you mean the east end or the west end?

the only reason these beaches made this list is because the mass volume off ppl,numbers….these are the safe beaches on this island go see for yourself!

Hawaii State Department of health is doing a terrible job. My brother drowned December 28, 2009 while we were on vacation, I nearly drowned as well. It was the worst day of my life, and has changed my life forever. Nothing has changed with lifeguards or information. Now we have technology that a drone can deliver a flotation device but no-one will do anything, visitors keep drowning.

There should be warning videos on every airplane to educate tourists that not all beaches are safe for every person. Just because you can swim in your own swimming pool or calm lake back home does not mean you are safe in the ocean. Tourists are so uninformed and too many die senselessly every year on vacation in Hawaii.

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Tourist trying to catch hawaii sunrise drives off 60-foot cliff, gets swept away – and survives nearly unscathed.

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A Canadian tourist visiting Hawaii walked away nearly unscathed after he drove off a 60-foot cliff on the Big Island and fell into the ocean early Sunday morning.

The unidentified man, 27, was driving along restricted backroads near the South Point cliff dive with a rented Jeep when the vehicle plunged off the cliff at around 3:30 a.m., according to local reports.

The rental got stuck upside down on the rocks below, and when the tourist crawled out he fell directly into the water below him and was quickly swept away, Island News reported.

Luckily for him, local spear-fishermen often camp out on the beach overnight to begin fishing at the crack of dawn and a few who were there that morning witnessed the Jeep’s — and then the man’s — fall.

They quickly called 911, and first responders were able to bring the man to safety by coaching him from the shore.

One of the fishermen who witnessed the rescue said he and his dive partner were woken up by another fisherman whom the Jeep driver nearly hit when he drove off the cliff.

“He said that the car had gone off the cliff just to the right of him,” Mike Moody told the local outlet.

The fisherman immediately called 911.

“If he didn’t see it, the guy would have died 100%,” Moody told KHON2 .

He said that the Jeep was flipped completely upside down and the driver’s side door was blocked.

“The driver’s side was jammed up with a rock so he couldn’t get out. Obviously, it was upside down on the roof so he was upside down and hanging right over the water on the passenger side,” Moody told Island News.

“He probably had no idea there’s water underneath him. He just opened the door and the kid said he had just fallen straight out into the water.”

The Canadian was able to swim to safety despite the steep fall and strong current with the help of first responders.

“He was floating on his back 80 feet from shore, we coached him in and he swam to a safe area,” Hawaii Island Fire Chief Kazuo Todd told KHON2.

From there, firefighters used a rope to pull him to shore.

He was taken to a local hospital for treatment of minor facial injuries, scratches and mild hypothermia.

Rental vehicles are not supposed to be driven on the stretch of cliffside dirt roads where the man drove off due to poor conditions and limited cell surface, according to the local station.

A fisherman said the roads are “super dangerous on [that] side of the island.”

“And if you don’t know what you’re doing, you can get yourself in pretty big trouble,” the fisherman named Jason told Island News.

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Dad dies in plunge from Hawaii waterfall just days after wedding anniversary

A California hiker died after he fell 120 feet below Hawaii’s Waipo’o waterfall just days after celebrating his anniversary, police said.

Mark DeBarr, 66, was touring the Waipo’o Falls Trail in Kokee State Park last Friday during a family vacation when police believe he slipped and fell 120 feet below the scenic Waipo’o Falls, according to Kaua’i officials.

First responders were called to the scene at around 10 a.m. and recovered DeBarr’s body from the falls.

Kaua‘i Police said there was no evidence of foul play, with an autopsy report pending.

Volunteers with Life Bridges and Visitor Aloha Society of Kauai (VASK) are assisting DeBarr’s family.

DeBarr, a father-of-two, had just celebrated his anniversary on Sept. 18 with wife Maureen DeBarr. he was an accounting professional and Chico State alumnus who hailed from Concord.

Pal Dough Brooker mourned the loss of his fellow Chico alumni, describing him as a great man and his best friend of 48 years.

“Mark passed after a tragic accident in Hawaii while on vacation with his family. This will leave a huge hole in the lives of all who knew Mark – he was an amazing guy and loved by so many,” Brooker wrote in a Facebook post.

DeBarr’s death isn’t the only accident that has claimed a tourist’s life at one of Hawaii’s waterfalls.

Greg Miller, 34, of Indiana, died in 2018 when he was struck by a falling rock near Maui’s Waimoku Falls while hiking in Haleakala National Park.

Married 32 years, Jane and Bob Jones did a lot in life together. They raised a family, served those in need and traveled when they could.

They died together, too.

The Joneses drowned in Hawaii, on a vacation aimed at escaping wintry Washington state weather for sun and sand.

On a Friday last March, the couple decided to snorkel the azure waters of Hanauma Bay, a popular tourist destination a half-hour east of Honolulu. They were a few hundred yards from the beach in an area called Witches Brew. Witnesses said one of them got in trouble and the other tried to help. Lifeguards responded but it was too late.

A longtime social worker, Jane, 55, coordinated free medical clinics and advocated for the homeless. Bob, 60, a retired Army captain, was a volunteer firefighter and worked for the Troops to Teachers program that helps military personnel start new careers.

“They were real ‘sparkplugs’ for the community, always looking for ways to serve the marginalized among us and working for justice,” David Ammons, a fellow parishioner at Westminster Presbyterian, told The Olympian newspaper . “Together, they made a real difference.”

The Joneses were not unlike others who have come to Hawaii for vacation, lured by the majesty and mystique conveyed by countless visitor publications, movies and magazines, songs and social media.

But like dozens of other visitors, the Joneses died in a manner that’s becoming all too familiar in the islands.

Drowning is by far the leading cause of death for tourists in Hawaii and snorkeling is the most common activity that leads to visitor drownings.

State health department records over the past decade show that Hawaii’s visitor-drowning rate is 13 times the national average and 10 times the rate of Hawaii residents.

Since July 2012, at least 147 visitors — nearly one a week on average — have died in Hawaii from injuries suffered while doing common tourist activities like swimming, snorkeling, hiking and going on scenic drives. 

Many also have sustained serious injuries, especially spinal cord damage.

The state, counties and tourism industry spend  millions of dollars on lifeguards, warning signs, informational websites, safety videos and other strategies to keep people safe.

But a Civil Beat review of tourist deaths over the last three and a half years suggests safety is far from the top concern when it comes to the 8 million visitors who travel to the islands every year.

Hawaii lacks clear and consistent safety messages to target visitors before they arrive. Even the Hawaii Tourism Authority’s main safety website contains broken links to online resources.

Although many visitors now use social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and other online sites to plan vacations and find activities, government officials and tourism industry leaders have done little to develop a social media presence that promotes safety.

Experts say the key to injury prevention is getting that message in front of visitors as many times as possible — whether it’s through websites like Yelp! or in-flight videos and brochures in hotel rooms. 

Former lifeguards, emergency room physicians and other safety experts have for years lobbied state legislators and policymakers to prevent injuries and deaths by getting timely and useful information — current ocean conditions, the latest trail closures, general safety tips — disseminated as widely as possible.

But local and state officials have paid little attention to efforts to strengthen safety programs or test whether those that are in place are effective.

For instance, tourism officials have started playing videos at airports and car rental companies, putting more brochures in hotel rooms, passing out pamphlets and adding more warning signs. But it’s unclear whether tourists are paying attention.

Dr. Monty Downs, an emergency room physician and longtime ocean-safety advocate on Kauai, estimates that only a small number of people see the videos at baggage carousels — although there is evidence that at least one man’s life was saved as a result of information his son obtained from the airport video.

Downs has been focused instead on expanding statewide a rescue tube program that’s seen success on Kauai. The tubes have been in place at unguarded beaches around the Garden Isle for more than six years, and rescues using them are regularly reported.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority recently created a new in-flight safety video under a 2013 legislative mandate , but it’s not shown on any flights yet from the mainland or overseas and some consider it too soft on safety.

Many in the industry now question whether the video was a waste of time and money given the historic lack of cooperation from airlines — and logistical challenges — to show safety messages. Plus, many passengers are simply not paying attention to the in-flight videos and entertainment because they are focused on their smart phone, tablet, book or magazine.

Commercial tour companies tout their own safety programs in an effort to convince tourists to snorkel, surf, kayak or rent various thrill craft with them. In general, experts say many of these companies give visitors a safe way to participate in an activity — often safer than on their own when there’s direct supervision.

But there’s no good way of knowing what companies are operating aboveboard and which ones are just trying to make a quick buck. The state only started requiring all operators to obtain a commercial permit in late 2014. And to avoid liability, the program leaves it up to the businesses to hire qualified, competent staff.

Meanwhile, nonprofits have been created whose focus is to help visitors cope with tragedies experienced while on vacation in Hawaii, whether it’s how to send a body to the mainland or arranging counseling to deal with an untimely death.

These are the kinds of things that guidebooks don’t provide, online sites underplay and the tourism industry shies away from.

Yet, the Aloha State’s drowning rate for visitors is so much higher than the national average. Hawaii’s visitor drowning rate —  5.7 per 1 million visitor arrivals — dwarfs those in states like North Carolina and Florida, where drowning rates are .5 and .9 drownings per 1 million visitors, respectively.

Drowning has been the leading cause of fatal injuries for visitors for decades. From 2005 to 2014, 49 percent of visitors who died of injuries did so by drowning, compared to just 5 percent for locals, according to state Department of Health data.

It’s particularly significant on Kauai and Maui, where visitors comprise almost three-fourths of all fatal injuries. Experts say that is partly due to the stronger visitor presence on the neighbor islands compared to Oahu. On Maui, for instance, roughly one in four people on any given day is a tourist.

Clearly, experts say, Hawaii residents know something about staying safe in the ocean that tourists don’t, and that vital information is not reaching those who need it.

“There’s a Hawaii vacation mentality that, ‘I can do anything I want here because I’m in paradise,’” said Jessica Rich, president of the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii. “They take risks here that they would never take at home.”

Some visitors increase their chance of a fatal accident by combining alcohol with a dip in unfamiliar waters or simply exercising poor judgment.

But many fail to understand the risk they are taking in the first place — inadequate trip preparation, bad decisions by tour guides or a lack of sufficient warning of inherent dangers.

In the last few years, the number of visitor deaths has increased, mirroring the state’s successful push to increase tourism especially from areas on the mainland and abroad that don’t have beaches or the kind of scenic ocean attractions found in Hawaii.

Visitor arrivals hit a new record in November with 661,352 people arriving in that month alone. Just over 43 percent came from the western United States, according to the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism . Japanese arrivals numbered 122,840 and there were 119,167 visitors from the eastern U.S.

With 2016 expected to be another record year for tourism, a new task force is exploring ways to improve ocean safety. In September, a committee of 12 key players from Hawaii’s various tourist and ocean safety agencies met for the first time. 

“We’ve done a really, really good job of branding Hawaii. We’ve done a really good job of marketing and getting people here,” said Jim Howe, a longtime ocean safety advocate who chairs the new Drowning and Aquatic Injury Prevention Advisory Committee.

“What I think is missing is that we oftentimes don’t tell people about some of the issues that they may face when they get here, and how to either avoid those, No. 1, or if they find themselves in those circumstances, what to do.”

So far, the committee has been working to come up with options to help raise public awareness, both before tourists arrive and once they get here. Some of those ideas include more meaningful and engaging in-flight videos and partnering with online review sites. The committee also is looking at identifying beaches that might need more lifeguards or better warning signs.

“Social media and the Internet are the key players in this game right now,” said Howe, who recently retired from his job as Honolulu’s chief of ocean safety operations. “They’re not going on guided tours, but they need that information.”

As more visitors opt for alternative accommodations through Airbnb and vacation rentals, they’re even less likely to book tourist activities through hotels that might recommend tour guides who offer safe excursions.

Instead, those visitors are planning their itineraries through sites like Yelp! or TripAdvisor. But those websites don’t provide the same safety advice that a tour guide might when visiting dangerous locations like Halona Blowhole or Spitting Caves on Oahu.

“Many visitors are basically like our toddlers in terms of their understanding of what’s going on at the beach and in the ocean,” Howe said. “This may be a 37-year-old adult, but if you look at their beach IQ, they’re about a 2-year-old.”

That’s part of why every week on average, somewhere in Hawaii, a tourist dies while involved in what should be common — and safe — activities.

Most tourists who die get at least a short write-up in the local paper or a news website.

It was the frequency of those stories that caught our attention a few years ago. It’s not the kind of story you see with such alarming regularity anywhere else in the country, even in big tourist markets like California or Florida, or rugged adventure travel areas like Alaska.

The stories, along with autopsy reports and other official records, formed the basis for a database that allowed us to analyze visitor deaths in a comprehensive and compelling manner. Our staff visited some of the sites that, the data shows, pose the greatest risk for out-of-state visitors. They interviewed numerous ocean safety experts, state and local officials who track visitor deaths, and people who work for the nonprofit organizations that help when tragedy strikes. They tracked down family members who lost loved ones here in the islands.

We created  a database of 147 tourist deaths over the past four years, compiled from media reports we’ve been saving since July 2012 along with autopsies from the Honolulu medical examiner. Neighbor island medical examiners said they couldn’t provide similar reports. 

We also relied on a Hawaii Department of Health report  for this series, showing non-resident deaths over the past decade.

The data, including the state’s records, are consistent: When visitors die from injuries, the vast majority die by drowning. And of the ocean activities they were doing at the time, snorkeling was No. 1.

In the past four years, people were swept out to sea while climbing on rocks near the shoreline, some perished in car or moped accidents, and several died while hiking.

A significant number of tourists who died were males in their 50s or 60s, some, as it turned out, with underlying heart conditions. 

“We’d really like to say, ‘Hey, exercise a few months before,’” said Jeff Murray, chief of the Maui County Fire Department. “People should understand their limits, number one, and ask questions.”

Hawaii’s unique ocean conditions can look deceptively mild to visitors. Experts say the physical characteristics found only in the Hawaiian Islands — the way the surf pounds and currents rip — often surprise visitors who were expecting the glassy waters seen on many postcards.

The state and counties put up signs warning of unsafe conditions — for instance, high surf or strong shore breaks — but mostly just at public beach parks. These signs are often ignored, and ocean safety experts say they don’t go far enough to deter visitors from going into the water on dangerous days.

Todd Duitsman was paralyzed from the neck down while on a family vacation to Maui in July 2014. He said he saw the signs warning of the shore break — before diving head-first into the sand.

“T here’s a certain personality where it doesn’t matter how many signs you put up, I’m still going to frolic in the ocean ,” he told Civil Beat.

Guided tours also don’t guarantee safety.

Tyler Madoff, a 15-year-old star athlete and honor student from New York, drowned during a kayaking trip on the Big Island in July 2012.

He was on a guided tour with a dozen other teens from across the country. At lunch, the guides led them down a trail to see tide pools and “the real Hawaii.” A rogue wave rushed over the rocky coastline and pulled Tyler out to sea. His body was never recovered.

Other visitors get into trouble on their own.

Cheryl Black, 55, was a financial manager at an auto dealership in Texas. She was hiking at Oheo Gulch on Maui in June 2014 when she fell 15 feet off a ledge.  Firefighters found bystanders giving the woman CPR while she lay unconscious, halfway in the water.

The gulch, also called Seven Sacred Falls , is promoted as a must-see spot on a trip to the Valley Isle.

Cheryl left behind a husband and two sons. Friends and family penned heartfelt memorials, calling her a “warm and wonderful woman” who was “loved by all that knew her.”

Dan Galanis, the state epidemiologist who has spent the past two decades analyzing injury data and prevention techniques, said the advisory committee’s formation marks the first time people from around the state have been convened on this issue in a sustained manner.

“I don’t think it’s going to magically solve the problem overnight, but it’s definitely the first needed steps for bringing a coordinated approach to this problem statewide,” he said.

Safety advocates say the balance between promoting Hawaii to visitors and protecting them has tilted too far in favor of the tourism industry over the past few decades, but there’s optimism that it can be leveled.

“There really is a sea change of attitude and kind of perspective that we feel is really timely right now,” said Bridget Velasco, the state  drowning and spinal cord injury prevention coordinator.

Her position was created in the past year, and she’s responsible for pulling together the advisory committee over the past six months. Velasco said solid evidence — and the data — will steer the committee.

“ Hawaii Tourism Authority has said we realize we are bringing people here and we need to keep them safe, and that’s part of their mission now,” she said. “Being able to partner with them is huge.”

Jadie Goo’s main responsibilities for the Hawaii Tourism Authority are safety  programs, the China and Taiwan markets, and workforce development. She said keeping visitors safe is a collaborative and collective effort.

Just from a budget point of view, HTA is mandated to allocate a certain percentage to safety programs. For fiscal 2016, the agency budgeted $680,000, which is $270,000 more than required.

“The key word is balance,” Goo said. “We want to develop consistent, strong messages to inform visitors. But we don’t want to scare them away.”

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More Stories In This Special Report

Death In Paradise Is All Too Frequent For Visitors To Hawaii

Stand Up Or Die: Snorkeling In Hawaii Is A Leading Cause Of Tourist Deaths

Families Shoulder A Hefty Burden When A Visitor Dies In Hawaii

Is Hawaii Doing Enough To Oversee Commercial Tour Operators?

How To Save Lives Without Scaring Tourists Away

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• Friday, May 3, 2024

John Kimo Abreu Published On May 17th, 2023 60, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, died in Honolulu on March 27, 2023. He was born in Honolulu. Visitation: 4:00 p.m.; Services: 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, ... READ MORE 60, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, died in Honolulu on March ... READ MORE Posted in Death Notices

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Hawaii set to remove major attraction after tourists defy ban

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Famous for its glorious beaches and mighty volcanoes, Hawaii welcomes approximately 6 million tourists each year.

One attraction that has previously been visited by up to 20,000 people annually, however, is set to be removed, after tourists have continued to defy a previous ban.

Also known as the Stairway to Heaven, the Honolulu government has confirmed that it’ll be removing the Haiku Stairs at the end of April.

Despite the fact that the stairs have been closed to the public since 1987 due to their steepness, thrill-seekers have continued to seek them out, ignoring multiple ‘no trespassing’ signs in favour of the views.

The stairs were built by the US Navy in 1942 after it began building the Haʻikū Radio Station, a top-secret facility that was used to send radio signals to passing navy ships. To reach the heights to build the antennae, they built the steps across the valley, creating the famous stairway.

Since the closure of the stairs, officials have struggled to maintain the ban. In 2014, six people were arrested and 135 cited, while in August 2012, comedian Fritz Hasenpusch died of a heart attack after he tried to climb the 3,922 steps atop the 2,800 foot mountain.

Just last week, a further five were arrested and charged with trespassing, and police gave out 60 extra warnings to hikers.

Over the years, hikers haven’t just attempted to access the viewpoint via the stairs; they’ve also tried via the Moanalua Ridge, which is a much longer, more difficult terrain to navigate. As such, many have needed to be rescued by local authorities.

‘Due to rampant illegal trespassing, Haiku Stairs is a significant liability and expense for the city, and impacts the quality of life for nearby residents,’ Honolulu City Council member Esther Kiaʻāina told Hawaii News Now.

Mayor Blangiardi added that ‘this decision that was made was predicated upon our respect for the people who live in and around the entrance to the stairs, our respect for our  ʻāina  [land and sea], and our respect for both the future and the past history of the culture of the Haʻikū community.’

The local council had previously voted to remove the stairs in 2021, and now that it’s actioning the move, it could take at least six months at a cost of $2.5 million.

Importantly, the decision to remove the stairs ‘prioritises public safety, seeks to stop illegal trespassing on the stairs and nearby neighbors who have dealt with decades of disruptions and disturbances, addresses significant liability for the city, preserves the natural beauty and condition of the area and improves the quality of life for neighbourhood residents in the area,’ the council added.

This isn’t the only example of overtourism that has forced authorities to take action. In Japan, a spot in the town of Fujikawaguchiko , outside a Lawson convenience store, has become an immensely popular photo op for snapping a particular shot of Mount Fuji behind it.

Although  Japan ’s highest mountain can be pictured from many spots around Fujikawaguchiko, this particular point of view entices visitors because of the juxtaposition. While there are approximately 14,000 Lawson stores in the country, only one has the sacred, 3,776-metre active volcano in the background. 

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But now, this particular view is set to change. A mesh net measuring 2.5 metres (8ft) and spanning 20 metres – about the length of a cricket pitch – will begin construction as early as next week. 

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Kihei man, 33, dies in vehicle crash in Kahului

By Star-Advertiser staff

April 25, 2024

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A 33-year-old Kihei man died after he was involved in a vehicle collision on Maui Veterans Highway in Kahului Thursday morning.

The collision approximately half a mile south of Maui Baseyard Road occurred at around 7:42 a.m. Thursday. According to the Maui Police Department, the man was driving a grey/teal 2022 Yamaha MT-03 motorcycle northbound on Maui Veterans Highway at a “high rate of speed, weaving through traffic to pass vehicles” when it struck the back of a silver 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV in the left inner lane.

The man and the motorcycle were separated during the collision, with the motorcycle flying through the air and hitting the surf rack of a silver 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup truck in the right outer lane. Police said the man landed in the roadway and died at the scene of the collision.

According to police, the man was wearing a helmet.

Neither the driver of the Chevrolet, a 73-year-old woman, or the Dodge, a 55-year-old man, were injured in the collision. All individuals in the cars were wearing seatbelts. No airbags were deployed, according to police.

Speed is believed to be a factor in the incident, police said. The involvement of alcohol and drugs has yet to be determined. The investigation is ongoing.

This is the fourth traffic fatality on Maui this year, compared to four at the same time in 2023.

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7 hikers arrested for attempting dangerous Hawaii hike before its permanent removal

People are flocking to Hawaii’s arguably most infamous – and illegal – hike , the Stairway to Heaven, before it is removed for good. Arrests and dozens of citations have immediately ensued.

Just two weeks after the announcement of the infamously dangerous Oahu hike’s permanent removal, the Honolulu Police Department on Thursday reported that seven hikers had been arrested for trespassing and 56 had been cited. Over the weekend, around 60 warnings were issued.

Second-degree trespassing is considered a petty misdemeanor and requires a court appearance, HPD said. 

The hike, also known as Haiku Stairs, has been illegal since 1987. Nevertheless, hopeful hikers have continuously trespassed – while causing disturbances – through residential neighborhoods and private property to ascend the nearly 4,000 World War II-era steel stairs for a panoramic view of Oahu. Due to the inclement weather and steepness of the hike, it’s not uncommon for people to have to be rescued, often by helicopter.  

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The City and County of Honolulu announced on April 10 that the aging stairs would be removed forever in a project Honolulu Major Rick Blangiardi called “long overdue.”

Residents who live by the hike said more people than ever before are trespassing onto their property to access the hike since the announcement, according to KHON2 .

“Be good people and understand it’s not about you and don’t be selfish,” said District Four Commander Maj. Randall Platt in a press conference on Monday, according to KHON2. “Think about what you’re doing to the work people, the environment, it’s all of thise, tracking invasive species in on top of putting the work people at risk on top of putting yourself at risk, it’s really not pono (righteousness) is really what I want to say, it’s not right.”

Ian Schuering, spokesperson for the City and County of Honolulu, told USA TODAY the entire stairway is considered an active work site and extremely hazardous for anyone attempting the hike. 

HPD reminds the public that it is “illegal and unsafe to access Haiku Stairs.” 

As crews are currently preparing the stairs for removal, the first set of stair modules will be flown off the mountain within the next couple of weeks, Schuering said. 

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected] .

Climber dies, another seriously hurt after 1,000-foot fall on Alaska peak

ANCHORAGE, Alaska ( KTUU /Gray News) - A person died and another was seriously hurt after falling roughly 1,000 feet down a steep slope at Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska on Thursday night.

The National Park Service reported that the two climbers were going up the 8,400-foot Mount Johnson — which towers over the Ruth Gorge and is a popular area for mountaineers — when they fell on the technical route that park officials described as featuring a mix of steep rock, ice, and snow.

The park service identified the deceased climber as 52-year-old Robbi Mecus of Keene Valley, N.Y. The surviving clumber, a 30-year-old woman from California, was rescued by Denali’s high-altitude helicopter pilot and two National Park Service mountaineering rangers on Friday morning. She was taken to Talkeetna and then to an Anchorage hospital by helicopter.

The two climbers were roped, Denali park officials said and were working their way up the Escalator, a 5,000-foot section that is steep and technical.

Officials said another group of climbers saw the fall and alerted the Alaska Regional Communication Center around 10:45 p.m. Thursday before making their way down to the area where the two people had ended up. Once there, officials say the second group stayed with the surviving member through the night by digging a snow cave.

A high-altitude rescue helicopter responded to the area from Talkeetna around 7 a.m. Friday, where rescue crews used ropes to drop a mountaineering ranger at the site and pick the injured climber up, taking them to a flat staging area on the glacier in the Ruth Gorge.

Rescue crews later attempted to return to the site to retrieve the body of the dead climber, but deteriorating weather kept them from reaching the body, park officials said.

Park rangers were eventually able to access the area and recovered the climber’s body on Saturday morning.

Denali National Park Superintendent Brooke Merrell expressed her sympathies to the climbers.

“We are grateful for the rescue efforts of Denali mountaineering rangers and the two good Samaritans on Mt. Johnson who helped save a fellow climber’s life,” Merrell said. “We extend our thoughts and condolences to the friends and family of Robbi Mecus”.

Copyright 2024 KTUU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Husband in Manoa murder-suicide mired in debt, records show

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Honolulu police investigate the killings of multiple people at a home in Honolulu's Manoa neighborhood, Sunday, March 10, 2024. (Craig T. Kojima/Honolulu Star-Advertiser via AP)

The 46-year-old Manoa man who police said stabbed his wife and three kids to death Sunday morning before killing himself was laden with debt, according to state and federal records and multiple sources.

Honolulu police said Sunday that the bodies found at 3622 Waaloa Place in Manoa were a husband and wife and their children: two girls, 17 and 10, and a boy, 12.

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Paris Oda, 46, who is originally from Kauai, killed his wife, Naoko, 48, originally from Japan, and their children with a knife that was found at the scene, according to police.

Money problems Paris Oda was allegedly dealing with debt and had faced legal action in connection to his liabilities, including a tax lien and a lawsuit over three years of unpaid rent for his business, Oda Ohana Chiropractic LLC.

He was sued in March 2021 for $88,893.26 by Savio Asset Management for back rent from November 2017 to February 2021, according to state court records. The parties agreed to dismiss the suit with prejudice in December 2021 after reaching a settlement in the amount of about $53,000.

Oda Ohana Chiropractic LLC also applied for and received a Paycheck Protection Program loan in the amount of $26,934 for the company’s four employees from the U.S. Small Business Administration on May 2, 2020. The loan was forgiven in the amount of $27,155.

Oda also reportedly had significant tax debt, but Kristen Sakamoto, deputy director of the state Department of Taxation, told the Star-Advertiser that the department cannot disclose tax record information.

Paris and Naoko Oda faced a state tax lien in March 2023 that was settled in June for $7,815, according to state records.

Aaries T. Oda, Paris Oda’s brother who is also a chiropractor and owner of HEC Medical Clinic LLC, did not respond to a Star-Advertiser request for comment.

In 2017 the Oda brothers paid a $1,000 fine and were barred from false advertising. They allegedly “ran an advertisement referencing an alleged disciplinary action” and directing consumers to call the “Consumer Protection Center” for a class-action suit, according to a June 16, 2017, news release from the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

“The advertisement contained multiple false and deceptive statements,” according to DCCA.

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