71-Year-Old Man Falls Into A Lava Tube In His Yard, Dies

An elderly man died this week after he fell into a lava tube that was on his property in Hilo, Hawaii.

Hawaiian police responded to the residence of the 71-year-old man in Kaumana at around 8:30 p.m. on Monday after receiving reports that the man had not been seen or heard from for several days. On conducting a search, the police located the man lying unresponsive at the bottom of the lava tube.

According to a statement released by the Hawaiian police, the elderly man appeared to have fallen through a soft area of ground in his property into the lava tube. The victim was extracted by Hawaii Fire Department Rescue personnel, who rappelled into the tube and brought the man up. His body was recovered from around 22-feet below the surface.

He was taken to Hilo Medical Center upon extraction, where he was declared dead. An autopsy report showed that the victim died of injuries that were consistent with falling.

The details about the victim were not released, as the police had not notified his next of kin. However, the authorities are now working on notifying his relatives.

According to Major Robert Wagner from the HPD, the victim fell while he was trying to trim some branches in his yard. One of the victim’s friends had reached out to the police to check on him.

No foul play is suspected in this case, the police concluded.

Lava tubes are natural channels formed beneath the surface when the lava that flowed for hours solidifies on top and sides but remains liquid in the center, forming a tube-like structure. Once the lava flow stops, the hollow tube cave remains, which is almost large enough for people to walk through it.