Top Maui Headlines, 5/10/18

The eruption of the Kīlauea Volcano and its threat to local communities has dominated headlines locally and brought international attention.  The steady lowering of the lava lake in “Overlook crater” within Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea has raised the potential for explosive eruptions in the coming weeks. If this happens, primary hazards include ballistic projectiles and ashfall.  Maui Now news director Wendy Osher and chief meteorologist Malika Dudley have been sharing the latest team coverage, so be sure to stick with us for updates. Also learn about the top five ways to protect your lungs from volcanic ash and air toxins in the vog at MauiNow.com.

On Sunday morning, fire crews and park rangers recovered the body of a 34-year-old Fort Wayne, Indiana man who was fatally injured by a falling rock near the Waimoku Falls in Kīpahulu.  Around 6:20 p.m. on Saturday May 5, a man called 9-1-1 to report that his friend had been struck in the head by a large rock while they all were sitting near the base of a waterfall at ʻOheʻo Gulch.  He had been hiking with a 30-year-old female companion from Indiana and two friends from Wailuku.  The two women stayed with the victim and said rocks had continued to fall.  Due to safety issues, responders waited until Sunday morning, when officials say they found the man deceased with massive head trauma at the bottom of the 200-foot waterfall. Crews loaded the victim into a basket and airlifted him out via helicopter.

A visitor from Denver, Colorado was pulled unresponsive from waters at Kapalua Bay on Friday, May 4.  Fire officials say the 73-year-old woman was snorkeling with a family member using a traditional mask and snorkel when she suddenly became unresponsive, about 200 feet from shore.  According to reports, a bystander on a paddle board brought the woman into shore, and a vacationing physician performed CPR on the beach.   Paramedics then arrived and transported the woman to the hospital in critical condition for further care.

In business news, tourism to Haleakalā National Park generated millions for the local economy, according to a National Park Service Report.  It shows that in 2017, 1.1 million park visitors spent an estimated $69.8 million in the local gateway region while visiting Haleakalā National Park, which supported around 819 local jobs.  Nationally, spending by more than 330 million visitors to parks around the country boosted the U.S. economy by more than 35-billion dollars.