Man dies after sneaking into closed section of popular national park

A 33-year-old Hawaii man is dead after entering a closed section of Kīlauea caldera at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, triggering an overnight search and rescue operation in steep, hazardous terrain, officials said.

National Park Service personnel responded Feb. 26 to the east side of the caldera. The volcano was not erupting at the time, authorities noted.

Rescue crews searched through the night before locating the man the following day. On Feb. 27, responders airlifted him from the area and transported him to Hilo Benioff Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Park officials said his family was notified, and his name is being withheld pending privacy considerations.

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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.

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"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.

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.