tourist death maui

They said her husband drowned snorkeling, but she saw him walk to shore. What happened?

A Michigan woman and her family are suing a Maui resort , the Hawaiian Tourism Authority, and the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau after her husband died while snorkeling . She doesn’t believe it was a drowning. 

Patricia and Ray Johnson, along with four friends, arrived at the Fairmont Kea Lani on Maui on the evening of Feb. 23, 2022, with plans to visit multiple islands over several weeks. This was the couple’s sixth time in Hawaii, and they had snorkeled the Hawaiian waters many times in the past, Patricia told USA TODAY. 

On the morning of Feb. 25, some of the travelers, including Ray, went snorkeling around Wailea Beach, which fronts the resort, while Patricia opted to walk a trail that overlooks the beach. “I looked out, and I saw my husband and my friends or people out there,” she told USA TODAY. “I’m waving at him, and it hits me.” Patricia saw what looked like other snorkelers helping Ray. 

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She hurried down to the beach, but “things deteriorated quickly.” At first, Ray had his head above water and was returning to the beach, but then the 64-year-old fell onto his back with his head “snapped back at one point” and had to be pulled in. “I knew he was gone,” she said. 9-1-1 was called, but medical professionals failed to resuscitate Ray. 

The autopsy report called Ray’s death an accidental drowning, which Patricia doesn’t believe. 

“I was watching him come in, how could he be drowning?” According to her friends who were snorkeling with him, Ray was talking and also diving down under the water. At one point, he came up and said, “You gotta help me, I’m having trouble breathing,” and that’s when he decided to head back to shore. “I don’t think when people are drowning in a conditional manner, you’re going to be conversing,” she said.

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By a landslide, the leading cause of death for Hawaii tourists is drowning. And of ocean drownings for residents and visitors, the majority occur when snorkeling. While the ocean is powerful and unpredictable, some advocates, including the Johnsons, are trying to bring attention to a lesser-known medical condition that specifically poses risks to snorkelers and hasn’t gotten much attention over the years: Rapid Onset Pulmonary Edema (ROPE). 

The Johnson family believes ROPE is the real cause of Ray’s death, and the lawsuit alleges that Hawaii travel entities have failed to educate the public on ROPE, resulting in “an important public health concern,” according to the complaint filed in the Circuit Court of the First Circuit in the State of Hawaii in February 2024. The case should begin the fact-discovery process this week.

The Hawaiian Tourism Authority, Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau and Fairmont Kea Lani declined to comment on the lawsuit. 

“I would like to see warnings out there,” Patricia told USA TODAY. “I truly believe my husband would still be here if we’d been warned.” 

How is snorkeling dangerous?

Breathing through a snorkel tube is similar to pinching your nose and breathing in through your mouth. The resistance is immediate. ROPE occurs when the negative pressure on the lungs ends up sucking bodily fluids out of the capillaries and into the airways, according to Dr. Raj Dasgupta , a California-based pulmonologist. 

“That snorkel resistance to airflow,” he said. “They want to breathe in but they have to breathe through that straw.”

Once fluid is in the lungs, it becomes difficult to breathe and people can experience hypoxia, or a lack of sufficient oxygen. “You slowly become weak then into a loss of consciousness,” Dasgupta said. Underlying health conditions such as heart and lung disease also increase someone’s predisposed risk for ROPE, he said.

If a person begins to feel shortness of breath, they may panic, causing more exertion, which can be life-threatening if they’re already suffering from a lack of oxygen, Dasgupta said. 

Drowning by ROPE is “fundamentally different” than typical drowning when people are aspirating water or submerged and often showing signs of distress, the complaint said.

A lack of public awareness

In October 2017, after California woman – and avid swimmer and snorkeler – Nancy Peacock died while snorkeling in calm waters off the coast of Hawaii Island in a full-face mask and no signs of struggle, the Hawaii State Department created the Snorkeling Safety Sub-Committee to “address public concern about snorkel-related drownings.”

In a Snorkeling Safety Study led by the sub-committee, 50 different snorkels were tested, and the experts examined nonfatal and fatal drownings. The interim report released in July 2020 concluded that “ROPE-induced hypoxia is a factor in fatal and nonfatal snorkel drownings.” The study also had a survey conducted at Oahu’s most popular snorkeling spot, Hanauma Bay, but only 36 participants – mostly locals – were interviewed due to the islands being closed to travel during the pandemic. 

The high altitude from air travel impacting someone’s lungs may be a contributing factor, but there wasn’t enough evidence in the study to confirm this. Since getting to Hawaii requires at least a five-hour flight, it’s possible that fatigue and stress from flying could play a role in someone’s risk of drowning by ROPE. 

The Hawaiian Tourism Authority funded the study to “develop appropriate safety messages.” However, as of April 2024, there have not been any public-facing messages on any of the official Hawaii tourism websites. Information cards have been passed out to most Kauai and Oahu tour boat operators, the subcommittee said. Although the study is preliminary and not robust in terms of participants and even calls for further investigation, it is the only one to explore ROPE in snorkelers so far.

“Why aren’t we in Hawaii letting people know?” said Jay Stuemke, an Oahu-based attorney who filed the complaint on the Johnsons’ behalf. “Pamphlets in rooms, apps, websites, in-room videos, all types of mechanisms to warn people. It’s an easy enough thing to do. We believe had they done that, Ray would still be alive today as well as many other people.” 

Snorkeling safety tips

◾ Always snorkel with a buddy, and if you can’t swim, don’t snorkel.

◾ Choose a snorkel with a wide opening and no constrictions in the mouthpiece.

◾ Learn to use the snorkel device before venturing out into water that’s too deep to stand in.

◾ If you feel shortness of breath, stay calm, remove the snorkel and get out of the water immediately, Dasgupta said.

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

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: They said her husband drowned snorkeling, but she saw him walk to shore. What happened?

Snorkeler drowns off Kauai beach, third death this month

A woman from California died after being pulled from the waters at a popular Kauai beach, making it the third water-related tourist fatality in Hawaii this month.

Officials identified the woman, 77, as Judith Bailey. She was rescued from the beach’s lagoon area during the late morning of June 19 when personnel from the Ocean Safety Bureau “spotted a snorkeler in distress,” according to a preliminary report from the Kauai Fire Department.

Bailey was conscious and alert when first responders arrived at the scene, the Kauai Police Department said. She was transported to the Wilcox Medical Center, where she later passed. 

Autopsy results are still pending, according to officials. 

“We are saddened to report this death of another visitor,” Kaua’i Police Investigative Services Bureau Acting Capt. Kennison Nagahisa said in a statement. “We remind the public to be aware of your surroundings and your abilities in the water.”

Learn more: Best travel insurance

Just days earlier, a 37-year-old Californian named Lucas Ivor on vacation on Kauai died when swimming near Tunnels Beach in Haena at around 5 p.m., according to the Kauai Police Department.  

A California newlywed couple drowned on June 1, at a popular snorkeling beach in Oahu.

More: Hawaii sees riskier beachgoers: How to safely enjoy the ocean on the islands

Is snorkeling in Hawaii dangerous?

Snorkelers have accounted for the majority of ocean-related drownings in the state over the past decade, according to John Titchen, Chief of Ocean Safety for Honolulu, followed by swimming and then free diving.

Of those snorkel-related drownings, over half are non-residents. 

“The primary reason we see from an Ocean Safety first responder perspective, visitors can’t really swim, they don't swim really well,” he said. “Now you’re adding a mask and tube to your face.” These visitors tend to not be in the best cardiovascular shape but see snorkeling as a must-do activity. 

Many travelers are unfamiliar with the ocean’s power, which can depend on changing tides, wind and currents. The same beach can look vastly different the very next day. 

“Some of the best snorkeling on Oahu is very close to shore and very heavily trafficked areas,” he said. “To the untrained eye there’s not a lot of energy going on but there’s a ton of energy even on a flat day.”

With people checking out the marine life underwater, they can often lose track of where they are.

More visitors are also venturing off the beaten path to beaches where there’s no lifeguard presence, Titchen said. Even some popular snorkeling spots like Shark’s Cove and Electric Beach on Oahu don’t have a lifeguard stationed there, however mobile responders are on duty.  

The Hawaii Department of Health established the Snorkel Safety Sub-Committee in 2017 to address the public concern about the high number of fatal snorkeling incidents. The sub-committee found that the snorkel’s breathing tube’s airflow resistance and increased exertion cause shortness of breath and distress, which can lead to drowning. 

Snorkeling safety tips

• Whatever you do, don’t panic. “Don’t go against (the ocean), don’t resist it,” Titchen said. If you notice you’ve been pulled out farther from shore, take off your snorkel mask and do your best to just stay afloat and flag someone’s attention. “Make sure you’re comfortable to tread water and wait for help.” 
• Take a moment to watch the ocean before entering and leaving. “Take some time to study the water and how to get out,” Titchen said. Snorkelers often get in the water at one point and don’t realize that the tide came up so they can’t exit the same way. 
• Snorkel with a buddy so you can check in on each other. 
• Lift your head out of the water to check your location while you’re snorkeling so you know if you’re drifting out. 
• When in doubt, don’t go out is a good rule to follow, but Titchen said to always feel free to talk to a lifeguard about conditions and recommendations. “Talk to a lifeguard, that’s why we’re there.”

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

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Tourist killed in maui wildfires saved up for ‘healing’ trip, died one day before her flight back home.

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A grandmother from California is the first tourist to have been identified as among the 115 confirmed victims in the Maui wildfires — dying just a day before she was due to fly home.

Theresa Cook, 72, of Pollock Pines in El Dorado County was among eight victims whom island officials identified on Tuesday.

She was staying at the Best Western Pioneer Inn and was last seen near the island’s famous banyan tree at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 8, around the time the massive blaze overwhelmed the historic downtown area of Lahaina.

Cook was scheduled to fly home to Sacramento just a day later.

Neighbors told ABC 10 she had recently shared how she saved up money for the big trip to get “some solitude and rest for herself.”

“She had messaged us and said she was having a wonderful time and the island was so healing,” Cook’s daughter, Melissa Kornweibel, told KCRA .

“It was so beautiful,” the dead woman’s son, Adam Cook, added. “She loved it there.”

The siblings had held out hope for weeks that their mother might have miraculously survived the blaze, as they scrambled to find out any information about Cook’s whereabouts.

Kornweibel said she reached out to the hotel’s property manager and another guest to ask if people had been evacuated.

She found out that guests had been evacuated, but her mother was missing.

For nine days, the siblings sought answers from the Red Cross and the Coast Guard, and reached out to people on Facebook.

“They received little guidance as to where their mother had gone but they remained hopeful,” a GoFundMe set up for the family says.

They finally received the devastating news about their mother on Sunday.

“It’s a lot to process,” Adam said. “It’s still hard to even admit.”

Still, Kornweibel said: “I don’t blame anybody.

“Things happen. Natural disasters happen. We’re human, we make mistakes. We do the best with the information we’re given.”

Locals have told The Post how the fire started early in the morning of Aug. 8 when a transformer blew and ignited dry grass on Maui County-owned land, about a mile from Lahaina’s historic waterfront.

By 9 a.m., county officials reported that the morning fire was “100% contained” — even though hurricane-force gusts were still blowing in the area.

They then left the scene, with county officials later saying the first responders were needed in other locations. But within an hour, the brush fire reignited and roared down the hillside toward the ocean, destroying nearly everything in its path.

Meanwhile, the heads of the Maui and Hawaii emergency management agencies were at an annual conference on Oahu on Aug. 8, the day the fires started leveling Lahaina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) confirmed to HawaiiNewsNow (HNN).

Key federal officials were also at FEMA’s annual disaster meeting when one of the worst disasters in recent US history started occurring on the other island, the outlet said.

The officials gathering in Waikiki only became part of a “coordinating call about 11 a.m.,” a state emergency management spokesperson told the local outlet of what would have been nearly five hours after the blazes started.

The death toll from the fire has reached 115 people, as the number of missing has increased to 1,100.

What we know about the Maui wildfires

At least 114 people have died in the Maui wildfires that started last Tuesday.

The wildfires, fanned by strong winds, burned multiple buildings, forced evacuations and caused power outages in several communities.

The National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora was partly to blame for the strong winds that knocked out power as night came. About 13,000 residents in Maui were without power, according to reports.

People rushed into the ocean to escape the smoke and flames fanned by Hurricane Dora.

Fire crews battled multiple fires in the popular tourist destination of West Maui and an inland mountainous region. Firefighters struggled to reach some areas that were cut off by downed trees and power lines.

“We know we’re not alone,” Kornweibel said. “There’s so many people missing and so many people have lost their lives, and we’ve never done this before. 

“We would just love any advice and encouraging words and support.”

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Researchers probe for answers to snorkel-related fatalities

Maui had more deaths than other islands from 2009-2018.

With the sound of whale song filling the water, Elias (foreground) and Trevor Schutt snorkel on a clear-water day at Wailea Friday. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

WAILUKU — Health officials and researchers behind a recent study that could link a pulmonary condition to snorkel-related deaths are trying to learn more about the causes behind the fatalities, especially in Maui, which has seen more drownings than other islands.

“There were more fatal and nonfatal drownings from snorkeling in Maui than any other island, by large margins,” state Department of Health epidemiologist Daniel Galanis said via email, referencing statistics from 2009-2018. “This was surprising to me, as Maui has only around 60 percent of the visitor days as Oahu, over the same period of time.”

Preliminary data from a study released last week suggested that oxygen deprivation induced by rapid onset pulmonary edema, known as ROPE, is the most probable cause of snorkel-related fatal and near-fatal drownings.

Drowning by ROPE is different in that a person doesn’t necessarily have to be inhaling water. It’s a sudden respiratory issue that can be triggered by snorkeling, a phenomenon that wasn’t previously studied with this water activity, according to The Snorkel Study: Mysterious Snorkel Drownings Explained.

“Snorkeling isn’t the low-risk activity everyone thinks it is,” said program manager Carol Wilcox in a news release. “Roughly an equal number of residents and visitors drown each year in Hawaii’s oceans, however the vast majority of visitor drownings are while snorkeling, yet very few residents drown while snorkeling. Why is that?”

Brothers Trevor, 15, (left) and Elias Schutt, 13, of Anchorage, Alaska snorkel off Ulua Beach Friday morning in Wailea. They are using a style of full-face mask which has drawn concern after drownings and near drownings in Maui County waters and was part of a recent snorkel study.

In October 2017, the state Department of Health established the Snorkel Safety Subcommittee to address public concern about snorkel-related drownings.

The study is asking Hawaii residents and visitors to complete a survey to further determine the causes and risk factors associated with snorkel-related fatal and non-fatal ocean drownings in the state.

DOH’s Emergency and Injury Prevention System Branch reported a total of 93 fatal ocean drownings in 2019 statewide, including 37 residents and 56 visitors. Of those, 21 were in Maui waters.

“It’s important to snorkel with a buddy so that if you get into trouble, your buddy can assist you to shore,” said retired battalion chief of Ocean Safety Colin Yamamoto, also an active member of the Hawaii Drowning and Aquatic Injury Prevention Advisory Committee and a member of the Snorkel Safety Subcommittee. “A lot of times with people who drown, they were by themselves.”

The DOH projects that non-resident deaths in 2020 will be 50 percent less due to decreased travel and foot traffic at the beaches amid the pandemic, while resident deaths are projected to see only a slight decline.

From 2010 to 2019, Maui County accounted for 27 percent (203) of the state’s fatal ocean drownings, which is more than Hawaii Island (114) and Kauai (78) combined.

According to the DOH, snorkeling remains the leading activity for ocean drownings from 2010 to 2019 at 216 total — 197 visitors and 19 residents. During the same timeframe, a total of 152 people drowned while swimming, 117 during an unknown activity and 49 while freediving, which is much more common among Hawaii residents (about 92 percent).

Galanis said that one theory as to why Maui has had more snorkel-related drownings is that the island has more oceanfront resorts by beaches that are more accessible for snorkeling, and snorkeling “appears to be a more common tourist activity” than other islands, which increases the probability of incidents, he said.

“We don’t have data to directly assess the risk of snorkeling, but we know from (Hawaii Tourism Authority) data that 49 percent of visitors reported they engaged in the activity in 2019, while snorkelers comprised 59 percent of the victims of fatal drownings from 2015-2019,” he added.

Galanis explained how the physical demands of snorkeling, including breathing through a constricted tube and swimming for extended periods, might be “underappreciated.”

“Snorkeling is also a relatively accessible activity — low cost and readily available equipment — that many visitors may have little or dated experience with,” he said.

The Snorkel Safety Study by Wilcox, principal investigator Philip Foti and project administrator Ralph Goto used a snorkel airway resistance analyzer, which found that a narrow tube creates more resistance when breathing, and that if the resistance is strong enough and long lasting, it will result in reduced pressure in the lungs, which can lead to ROPE.

With ROPE, snorkelers can oftentimes lose consciousness and strength, a condition that has been associated with scuba diving, but not yet with traditional snorkeling.

“This unravels the mystery of previously inexplicable snorkel-related drownings. It is an important discovery with significant implications,” the report said.

The study researched why snorkelers might get ROPE more than everyday swimmers or surfers by looking into “prone immersion,” or water pressure exerted on the chest, and the breathing resistance created from the snorkel tube and mask.

Forty-nine snorkels were tested, including four full-face masks. Snorkel design ranges from a simple tube attached to goggles to those with purging valves, pinched tubes and full-face coverage.

In general, the simpler the snorkel the less resistance it generated, according to the study.

High resistance adds to the risk of developing ROPE, and the “more you exert, the greater the resistance.”

The Snorkel Study survey was first posted in January 2019, and a small sample of 36 people completed the survey by March 2020. All were Hawaii residents under the age of 55 who are strong swimmers and experienced snorkelers.

“Thus, the survey currently does not shed any light about why visitors seem especially vulnerable,” the report states. “It does show that drownings happen to even the most experienced of watermen and women.”

Of the 36 respondents, 60 percent had symptoms consistent with ROPE-induced hypoxia, 13 percent drifted away from safety, 11 percent reported panic and 8 percent cited ocean conditions.

Only one person reported possible aspiration and 66 percent of respondents were using full-face masks, of which 83 percent felt the full mask contributed to their problems.

Other factors that can increase the risk of ROPE include having an underlying health condition, being a male 50 years old or older or not having ocean experience.

Another theory that will require further research is the idea that exposure to high altitude via air travel is a risk factor for ROPE. Almost all visitors who travel to Maui have recently spent at least five hours on an airplane in cabin pressure thousands of feet in the air.

When looking at full-face masks, the report noted that they pose “no advantage or disadvantage” in terms of resistance compared to other masks. However, based on evaluation of design and feedback from users, it was determined that full-face masks cannot be removed easily in urgent situations even with quick release features, and that a snorkeler can’t remove a mouthpiece like the traditional snorkel. There’s also a possibility for valve malfunction.

In Wailuku on Wednesday, Yamamoto, who was also involved with the recent snorkel research, presented data from a separate “amateur study” of carbon dioxide buildup and his opinion on the the dangers of breathing in exhaled air that remains in the mask or snorkel tube.

After testing 15 different models of traditional and full-face snorkel masks while at rest and jogging on a treadmill, he and other members of the Hawaii Drowning and Aquatic Injury Prevention Advisory Committee found that oxygen and carbon dioxide levels border between normal and “unsafe conditions.”

Depending on the design of the mask and the fitness level of the snorkeler, he said roughly 40 percent of each breath is full of exhaled air.

“No matter what, you will breathe in your own air, traditional or full-face,” he said. “Because you’re rebreathing your own air, which is low oxygen, high carbon dioxide, and if you have preexisting conditions, it may exacerbate those conditions, which may or may not lead to trouble in the water or some type of cardiac event in the water.”

The former 30-year fireman noted the nation’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which states that oxygen levels below 19.5 percent are deemed oxygen-deficient and “immediately dangerous to life or health.”

While wearing the snorkel gear in his experiment using sensors, oxygen levels were on average around 18 percent for a traditional mask and an average of 16 percent for an undisclosed model of the full-face mask.

When snorkeling, Yamamoto recommends taking bigger breaths.

“Bigger breaths means more fresh ambient air inhaled,” he said.

If using a full-face mask, Yamamoto recommended that snorkelers do not exert themselves, that they use the mask for surface breathing only, take occasional breaks and practice removing full-face mask in case a situation occurs.

While there are industry standards for scuba and diving equipment, there are limited standards for snorkel equipment, Yamamoto said, which is why he believes snorkelers should choose a mask carefully.

He continues to advocate for more caution labels and ocean safety education on the products and at beaches. And, because Yamamoto experimented outside the water, he hopes independent labs will conduct more in-depth, professional studies in the future.

While data is important for records and determining legislation, Yamamoto reminds everyone to not lose the “human emotion.”

“Each number represents a person who drowns, but they are also a father/mother, cousin, aunty, uncle, husband/wife, friend to someone,” he said. “They have a name. And that’s what the numbers don’t tell us.”

Anyone who has had trouble while snorkeling, or been with someone who has, is encouraged to fill out the Snorkel Study survey at http://www.snorkelsafetystudy .com/. More information about the preliminary report is also available on the website.

Experienced and recreational snorkelers can also observe the following safety tips:

• Always swim with a partner.

• If you can’t swim, don’t snorkel.

• Take occasional breaks.

• Be aware of ocean conditions, and if in doubt, don’t go out.

• Choose snorkel gear thoughtfully.

• Practice using snorkel gear before entering the ocean or trying more complex equipment.

• If you have shortness of breath, don’t panic; stand up, remove snorkel and get out of water.

• Beware of drifting away.

• Swim at a guarded beach.

* Dakota Grossman can be reached at [email protected].

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DLNR: Witness to fatal shark attack off Maui saw ‘red cloud’ in water

KIHEI (HawaiiNewsNow) - A witness saw a large shark feeding on something “in the middle of a red cloud in the water” just before a snorkeler off Maui was reported missing in what’s been classified as a fatal shark attack.

The new detail was included in a report issued Friday from the state.

Officials said witness accounts corroborate what the snorkeler’s husband said after reporting the woman missing.

The woman, a visitor from Washington state, was snorkeling off South Maui on Dec. 8 when she was attacked.

READ MORE: Multi-agency search ends for missing woman who apparently suffered shark bite off Maui

Her body was never recovered, but part of her swimsuit and a snorkel set was.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources said the victim’s husband told authorities that he noticed an “aggressive” tiger shark in the water after he went in.

He also said he wasn’t snorkeling right next to his wife.

He told officials that he could only see his wife from ”time to time.” but once he noticed the shark begin to circle him he began looking for his wife and thought that she might have been diving toward the ocean floor.

The man told officers the shark swam off while he continued looking for his wife by popping his head out of the water and scanning the surface. When the shark came back, he could see something red around the shark’s gills.

At that time, he told officials, people on the beach began yelling at him to get out of the water because a shark was feeding in the area. He got to shore and the search for the woman was launched.

The witness who spotted the “red cloud” in the water called 911 to report the incident.

DOCARE concluded that this was a tragic accident, and the MPD came to a similar conclusion reporting that the disappearance as a “miscellaneous accident-fatal.”

Copyright 2022 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

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Family of Scripps Ranch man awaits answers in Maui vacation death

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Loved ones are grieving the death of a Scripps Ranch man after a wedding anniversary trip to Hawaii turned tragic.

Photos taken a week and a half ago, show a smiling Arnell David, 45, and his wife Sherill, enjoying the waters off Maui, celebrating their 12th wedding anniversary. Also on the trip: their 9-year-old son Isaiah and other family members.

Days later, the bliss would turn into something else.

"It's a shock. It’s so heartbreaking,” said Noriza David, David’s cousin.

Late Friday morning, David and his brother-in-law went snorkeling off a beach at their resort in the western part of the island.

“Arnell loved the water and had done a lot of snorkeling … Where they were, you can still basically stand up. It was pretty shallow,” said Noriza.

Noriza says not long after they started, David's brother-in-law noticed David appeared sluggish.

"Kind of bobbing there, just not stable,” said Noriza.

The brother-in-law asked David if he wanted to go back. David answered that he did, and his brother-in-law put him on his back. Halfway to the shore, David fell unconscious. Once on shore, a family member quickly started CPR, before he was rushed to a hospital.

The next day, tests showed swelling in his brain. David would pass away on Sunday.

“It's heavy and you feel empty at the same time,” said Noriza.

Noriza calls David—a software engineer for a bank holding company—laid back and funny.

“He had this really big smile. His humor and sarcasm were memorable. He loved to bring family together,” said Noriza.

Noriza says David was also a devoted dad.

The cause of David’s death remains a mystery. While he was hospitalized, doctors ran all the routine tests.

“They were able to rule out heart attack or stroke. They were able to rule out drowning. It was not clear what caused this,” said Noriza.

Noriza says David was not having any underlying health issues. An autopsy will be conducted Thursday.

“Not knowing is the hardest part of grieving. You can't start to grieve until you know why this happened,” said Noriza.

A Gofundme campaign has been started to help the family bring David home.

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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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Hawaii's governor orders review as Maui fires become deadliest in modern U.S. history

Juliana Kim

Davilynn Severson and Hano Ganer look for belongings through the ashes of their family's home on Friday in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, in western Maui, Hawaii. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Davilynn Severson and Hano Ganer look for belongings through the ashes of their family's home on Friday in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, in western Maui, Hawaii.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said he has ordered a comprehensive review to understand the actions taken before, during and after last week's wildfires on Maui.

In a 9-minute audio released on Sunday, the governor said more than 2,700 structures were destroyed in and around the historic town of Lahaina. The death toll rose to at least 96 late Sunday, according to Maui County officials , but Green said he expects the number to rise. He said 35 additional members of an Urban Search and Rescue team are arriving — along with 20 dogs to help pick through the rubble.

In ordering the review, Green said, "There is a lot to share. There is a lot of information that people want. And to that end, I've authorized a comprehensive review of what happened in the early hours of the fire and hours thereafter."

"We will build back together. We will find out what we could have done to prevent such loss of life to the best of our ability."

"This is a big mission which will go on for many months and many years," he said.

Destroyed buildings and homes are pictured in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina. Sebastien Vuagnat/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Green also gave new details about the fires that burned on Maui last Tuesday. He said one fire was deemed out — but "must not have been completely extinguished." He said wind gusts were reported as high as 81 mph. The fire spread rapidly — traveling one mile every minute. He said combined with those winds and the 1,000-degree temperatures, "ultimately all the pictures you see will be easy to understand."

Green added, "that level of destruction in a fire hurricane — something new to us in this age of global warming — was the ultimate reason that so many people perished."

He did not address evacuation plans or why emergency sirens did not sound.

The devastating wildfire that tore though parts of Maui and destroyed much of Lahaina is the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.

Green said over the weekend that hundreds of people were still unaccounted for and he expected the number of dead to increase.

Burned cars, destroyed buildings and homes are pictured in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina. Paula Ramon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Burned cars, destroyed buildings and homes are pictured in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina.

"We want to brace people for that," Green said. The governor added that the road to recovery would be a long one. "It's going to be, in the short term, heartbreaking," Green said. "In the long term, people are going to need mental health care services. In the very long term we'll rebuild together."

Federal officials have provided search dogs to help assist efforts to recover fire victims, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said Saturday.

"We need to identify your loved ones," Pelletier said.

Up to 4,500 displaced people are in need of shelter, according to a Maui County Facebook post citing the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Damage across Maui is estimated to be close to $6 billion, Green said.

Firefighting efforts continue

Firefighting crews continue to work on extinguishing flare-ups in the Lahaina and Upcountry Maui fires, according to a County of Maui update on Saturday.

As of Friday night, the fire that tore through Lahaina had been 85% contained, according to County of Maui officials.

Containment does not necessarily mean a fire is not raging on. Rather, it refers to the perimeter that fire crews were able to create around the fire to keep it from spreading. That means, even if a fire is 100% contained, it could still be burning.

The Lahaina Fire in West Maui is estimated to have burned 2,170 acres and damaged or destroyed more than 2,200 structures. About 86% of the buildings that were exposed to the fire were residential, the Pacific Disaster Center said on Saturday.

Anthony M. La Puente, 44, recovers items from his house in Lahaina. Paula Ramon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Destroyed buildings are pictured in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina on Friday. Paula Ramon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Destroyed buildings are pictured in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina on Friday.

Scorched by Maui wildfire, historic Lahaina banyan tree appears still standing

In Ka'anapali, also in West Maui, a small fire that was sparked on Friday and forced mass evacuations has been completely contained. But the brief flames disrupted plans to distribute fuel on Saturday that had been stored in the area, local officials said . On Saturday evening, officials said the fire had been extinguished.

The Pulehu wildfire in Central Maui above Kihei burned mostly on Haleakala Ranch lands. A few small "smokers" were visible from the air. Hawaii Dept. of Land and Natural Resources hide caption

Meanwhile, in South Maui, the blaze scorching Pulehu was declared 100% contained.

The Picture Show

Photos: 'whole town went and dissolved into ashes,' hawaii lieutenant governor says.

On Friday, Attorney General Anne Lopez announced that her department will be conducting a review of decisions made leading up to, during and after the historic wildfires. The inquiry comes amid accusations from some residents that there were no warning sirens on Tuesday ahead of the fires, failing to give them enough time to prepare.

In upcountry Maui, the Kula fire destroyed numerous area homes. Maui County firefighters were still on the scene Friday night. Deanne Fitzmaurice for NPR hide caption

In upcountry Maui, the Kula fire destroyed numerous area homes. Maui County firefighters were still on the scene Friday night.

A helicopter makes a pass over the Kula wildfire area in upcountry Maui. Deanne Fitzmaurice for NPR hide caption

Much of the western part of Maui remains without power — jeopardizing the food in people's refrigerators. Local officials have also warned against drinking tap water — even if it is boiled — due to possible contamination from the fires.

Though some cell service has been restored, authorities have also asked residents to text rather than talk over the phone because of severely limited bandwidth.

Maui officials say it was 'impossible' to warn everyone as wildfires spread quickly

Access into West Maui has also been restricted, though the highway for vehicles leaving Lahaina remains open. Lahaina remains barricaded, with authorities warning people to stay out of the area due to toxic airborne particles. Officials also advise people nearby to wear masks and gloves.

Emily Komatsu (right) with her son, Nehemiah Komatsu, volunteers at Waiehu Community Church partnering with Kahului Baptist church to collect and sort donations for relief to people affected by the deadly wildfires in Maui. Deanne Fitzmaurice for NPR hide caption

Traffic backs up outside Lahaina. Deanne Fitzmaurice for NPR hide caption

More than 1,400 people remain in evacuation shelters on the island. A family assistance center is open this weekend in the city of Kahului for those looking for information about loved ones who are still unaccounted for.

About 1,000 people are missing, Maui County Police Chief John Pelletier estimated on Thursday, though he cautioned that "honestly we don't know."

The death toll from the Maui fires surpasses the 85 people who were killed in the 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California. A fire that raged through northern Minnesota in 1918 killed hundreds.

NPR's Russell Lewis, Jason DeRose, Lauren Sommer and Don Clyde contributed to this report.

Deaths in Maui rise to at least 99 as search goes on in Lahaina

Coverage on this live blog has ended. Please  click here  for the latest updates.

The number of confirmed dead following devastating wildfires on Maui rose Monday to 99, but searchers and cadaver dogs have covered only around a quarter of the town of Lahaina, officials said.

That number is almost certain to rise, in what is being called the largest natural disaster in the history of Hawaii as a U.S. state.

What to know about the wildfires

• Cadaver dogs are helping search Maui's charred ruins for the missing, and the teams have covered at least 25% of the affected zone.
• Since the fire that devastated the town of Lahaina, 1 million pounds of food has been delivered.
• Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said the damage was estimated at close to $6 billion. He said the fires were likely to be the largest natural disaster in the state’s history.
• NBC News teams are on the ground and reporting from Maui.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said that “there has been a great deal of water conflict on Maui for many years” and that Maui has faced challenges getting enough water to rural areas and to houses.

“We’re in the process of a comprehensive review that I’ve asked our attorney general to do, and there will be multiple reviews at every level to find out what the level of preparedness was,” Green said.

Officials expect to begin identifying those killed Tuesday, if their families have been notified.

Economic cost after Maui fires could trigger local recession, analysis says

Phil Helsel

The economic damage and cost from the Maui wildfires could be up to $7 billion, Moody’s Analytics said in an initial estimate released today.

The price tag was called “astronomical” in the analysis by Adam Kamins and Katie Nied.

“Losses may be more than enough to suggest a brief but severe local recession,” it says.

The initial estimate is between $3.5 billion to $7 billion in total economic cost, with most of that from losses, the analysis says. Up to $1 billion could be in lost output, it says.

Firefighters say battle was impossible after they ran out of water

MAALAEA HARBOR, Hawaii — The  wind-fueled  wildfire that swept into Lahaina “looked like Armageddon,” Maui firefighter Aina Kohler said.

“Everything happened so fast,” she said. “The winds were the highest I’ve ever felt on Maui, in my life or anywhere in my life. And everything just happened so fast.”

Part of what went wrong in the fire that erupted Tuesday and devastated the town of around 12,000 in West Maui was a lack of a crucial resource: Water.

“We ran out of water,” she said. “We’re on an island, with a limited supply. And that’s what we all talk about all the time, our limited resources.”

Read the full story here.

Hawaii governor says ‘multiple reviews’ will assess preparedness

Questions have also been raised about why warning sirens did not sound .

Obama puts out call to make Red Cross donation

More than 50 animals have been rescued.

The Maui Humane Society is sending all its dogs and cats to the mainland to make room for pets missing and scattered, an official said.

So far1, 12 of the 52 live animals that have been received since the fire Tuesday are hospitalized with injuries, the humane society's veterinary services director, Kelly Maguire, said at a news conference today.

An estimated 3,000 animals are missing, she said, and there have been many reports of animals in the outskirts of the fire area. Food and water are being placed out for them in the hope they can be trapped and saved, she said.

Officials have reunited eight animals with their owners, she said.

Shelters are being cleared to make room, Maguire said. The 150 cats and kittens that were in the shelter before the fire are being sent to the mainland, she said, and arrangements are being made for 115 dogs. The dogs are with foster families.

Identities of those killed to be released tomorrow

Tomorrow, police in Maui will start releasing the names of those killed in the wildfire that struck the Lahaina area if their families have been notified.

Maui Police Chief John Pelletier today urged patience and respect, warning that if people trespass in burned areas they could be disturbing remains of the dead. One person was arrested for trespassing today, he said.

“I understand that people want numbers. It’s not a numbers game. Right now we’re at 99 souls and families,” Pelletier said.

As of today, 25% of the area has been searched, he said. Twenty dogs are working the area.

Most of the destroyed structures are residential

Around 86% of the more than 2,200 structures that were destroyed in the Maui wildfires are residential, Gov. Josh Green said today.

He said that housing for the displaced has been a priority and that people have taken survivors to their personal homes.

Green asked for patience from the people of the devastated town of Lahaina who want to return because cadaver dogs and searchers are looking for human remains.

“We know that it’s frustrating, but this pace will accelerate,” Green said, including reopening of the road.

Officials have said areas in the burn zone are toxic and dangerous.

Confirmed deaths in Maui rise to 99

The confirmed number of deaths in the Maui wildfires has risen to 99, Gov. Josh Green said today.

“In addition to that, the search goes on,” Green said.

The previous number of confirmed deaths had been 96.

Amid donation bottleneck, officials launch coordinated distribution

Dennis Romero

State and local officials acknowledged minor backups and bottlenecks as the world responds to the Hawaii fires with tons of donated goods.

Maui was getting 60 to 70 shipping containers filled with donations every day, making sorting and distributing to those most in need a difficult task, Laksmi Abraham of the Maui County mayor's office said.

Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke said at a news conference today announcing a new, coordinated effort to coordinate donations: "There has been such an outpouring of support from around the world. Some of the frustration you’re hearing is because of the lack of coordinated effort."

The website Maui Nui Strong will serve as a voice for survivors, officials announced. It will be able to weigh in about what goods they most need, they said.

So far, officials said, residents were asking for nonperishable protein food products, bottled water, hand-washing stations, tents and battery-based chargers for electronic devices.

As part of the effort to better coordinate donations, a central drop-off location was being moved from the War Memorial Complex in Wailuku to the Sears building in Kahului, officials said. Key nonprofit groups were identified as participants in the distribution effort: They include the Hawaii Community Foundation, the Maui United Way and the Hawaii Food Bank.

Officials hope the reorganized effort will ensure donations do not go unused.

"We need to centralize locations where donations are going to so we can more properly distribute them to the community," Abraham said.

Maui on guard for looters and speculators

Corky Siemaszko

Phil McCausland

Nearly a week after Maui was ravaged by the deadliest wildfires in more than a century and as residents continue to wait for word about their missing loved ones, a new set of problems has emerged: looters and speculators trying to cash in on the tragedy.

A local businessman said people desperate for gas and other scarce items are raiding the few businesses still standing in Lahaina, the historic city that was all but destroyed.

Bryan Sizemore , 48, a commercial sport fisherman and mechanical engineer who has lived on Maui for nearly 20 years, said he recently chased off several looters from his business at gunpoint.

“My boat exploded as a result of the flames, but my business somehow made it. But there’s been looters at my place, people stealing gas,” Sizemore said today. “I’ve been sleeping there in my car. ... They’re poking holes into the gas tanks and draining them off.”

Corporate America pitches in for Maui recovery

United Airlines said today it and its customers have donated nearly half a million dollars and 43 million award miles to aid and disaster relief organizations focused on Maui.

It also said it has flown more than 11,000 people who left the island and transported workers and volunteers from the American Red Cross, World Central Kitchen and Airlink, a nonprofit group that provides free flights to disaster response groups.

Also today, T-Mobile announced it set up portable satellite dishes in Kaanapali and Haleakala to temporarily restore service in those areas.

More equipment was expected to arrive later in the day, T-Mobile said, and it would be used to help restore service along the West Maui coastline.

The wireless company said customers with Maui addresses who don't have the company's unlimited talk, text and data upgrade are getting it free through Aug. 21.

Customers can easily donate $10 to organizations helping with recovery and relief in Maui through T-Mobile's "text-to-give" option, it said.

The American Red Cross (text HAWAII to 90999), the Hawaii Community Foundation (text WILDFIRES to 501501), the Salvation Army (text WILDFIRES to 52000) and the Information Technology Disaster Resource Center (text CONNECT to 20222) are the latest options for recipients, T-Mobile said.

Search-and-rescue crews on the ground

Hawaii tourism officials: please stay away from west maui.

In an "urgent travel alert" today, the Maui Visitors Bureau said leisure travel to West Maui is "strongly discouraged."

"The collective resources of the government, the West Maui community, and the travel industry must be focused on the recovery," it said.

The bureau, part of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, said would-be travelers can help recovery operations not only by staying away, but also by donating to local relief efforts.

However, it noted that travel to Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Lānaʻi and the Big Island was not affected.

A look at the resources FEMA is providing

Megan Lebowitz

WASHINGTON — FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said the federal government currently has the “right amount of personnel on the ground” in Hawaii to help in the recovery and response efforts from what has become the  deadliest  wildfire in modern U.S. history.

Criswell, who joined Monday’s White House press briefing via video from Hawaii, said the Federal Emergency Management Agency is focused on getting people critical needs assistance funds, which  provides  $700 initially for food, water, medical supplies and other needs.

“We know and have let them know that we are mourning with them,” Criswell said of her work with Hawaiians. “Nothing can prepare you for what I saw during my time here, and nothing to prepare them for the emotional toll of the impact that the severe event has taken on them.” 

Read the f ull story here .

Search teams and dogs have covered 20% of the fire zone

Authorities have searched 20% of the fire-ravaged area in Maui, Police Chief John Pelletier said.

Over the weekend, Pelletier said the search, which is being conducted with dogs, was going slowly because the animals were getting tired from the heat and rough terrain. At that point, only 3% had been covered.

Twenty additional dogs are now helping in the search.

“You can only work as well as the dog will work,” he said.

National service agency AmeriCorps ready to help

AmeriCorps, the national service agency established under President Bill Clinton, said it's prepared to supplement the wildfires response in Maui and help rebuild infrastructure, businesses and homes.

"While all AmeriCorps deployments come at the request of local governments, we are poised and ready to deploy AmeriCorps Disaster Response Teams," the agency said in a statement.

AmeriCorps said it is monitoring the situation on Maui, where the fires-related death toll stood at 96 Monday.

"More than 8,000 residents of Hawaii have served with us," it said. "We are prepared and ready to provide any assistance we are able as they respond, recover, and rebuild in the days, months, and years ahead." 

Gov. Green breaks down response by the numbers

Pentagon says active duty forces are ready to assist.

The Associated Press

The National Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard are assisting with recovery efforts in the communities reeling from fires in Maui, a Defense Department spokesman, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, said today.

However, no active-duty forces are involved yet, Ryder said. That raises questions as to why not — Hawaii is home to tens of thousands of active-duty military personnel, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and major Navy and Air Force installations, with ships and aircraft that could assist in flying in supplies or personnel.

Ryder said those forces are ready to provide whatever support is requested by Hawaii but that rushing in resources too quickly could create additional logistics problems for rescue operations on the ground.

The multiagency fire response  has already been stymied  by logistical issues and communication challenges, particularly during evacuations when sirens failed to sound and roadblocks hindered residents from leaving.

“Indo-Pacom is on a hair trigger to be able to support as necessary,” Ryder said. “Everyone fully understands the pain that people are experiencing right now. We want to do everything we can help. But we also don’t want to contribute to the problem by sending unnecessary capabilities that then will hinder any type of emergency response.”

So far 250 Hawaii Army National Guard and Air National Guard members are assisting recovery operations, Army National Guard helicopters have dropped more than 189,000 gallons of water on the wildfires, the Army Corps of Engineers has sent debris removal teams and power experts, and the Army Reserve has provided space to collect and distribute supplies, Ryder said.

Couple battled Upcountry fire consuming their house until water gave out

David Douglas

KULA, Hawaii — Gayle and Ross Hart, a couple in their 70s, did their best to fight the Upcountry fire, which consumed their home — until the water pressure gave out and they had no choice but to leave. 

“The only thing standing is our mailbox,” Gayle said. 

She said that the fire crossed a gulch near their home last Tuesday and that despite firemen patrolling the area and the electric company cutting off power, the fire still entered the neighborhood. 

Gayle recounted how kindhearted neighbors banded together to help the couple try to put out the fire when it encroached on their home but had to give up when the water stopped running.

“It just disappeared — like, we just ran out of water,” she recalled. “My husband, I give him credit, he fought the battle until the end. He left about 11 at night. That’s when the water went out and he had to go.”

She said the blaze in her neighborhood started around 11 a.m. Hours later, around 4 to 5 p.m., she got a text to evacuate. They were able to escape with a small bag of clothing, some family pictures and a few other personal items. 

“All my recipes stayed, family heirlooms — stuff from grandparents and stuff — that’s all gone,” she said. “We have a lot more than the people in Lahaina. There was no warning there; it just came.”

Asked about government accountability and whether residents should have been better forewarned, she said: "Now’s not the time to nitpick at what happened. It’s so raw — the deaths, especially in Lahaina."

Despite the heartbreak of losing her home, Gayle is keeping a positive perspective.

“Life is still good in spite of all of this. Just gotta change my direction,” she said.

' I am completely heartbroken': Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson says

Marlene Lenthang

Actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who is Samoan and spent part of his childhood in Hawaii, said he is "heartbroken" by the wildfires that have ravaged Maui.

“I know that by now all of you around the world have seen the complete destruction and devastation that has hit our Hawaiian islands, our island of Maui. And I am completely heartbroken over this and I know you all of you are, too," he said Sunday in a video on Instagram.

"Thank you guys around the world for all of your love and support, your light, your prayers. Thank you for sending them to the island of Hawaii, the people of Hawaii," he said.

He encouraged his 388 million followers to donate to help displaced victims, noting that he has been speaking to organizations on the ground.

In his caption, he wrote: “All our local families, our ohana, our aiga, stay strong thru this devastating time. Resilience resolve is in our DNA. Our ancestors are in our blood. This is who we are. This is what we do. I love you. Stay strong.” 

National Weather service warned of 'critical' and 'dangerous fire weather scenario' days before wildfires

Andrew Blankstein

The National Weather Service had warned for days of high winds and a “critical” and “dangerous fire weather scenario” ahead of the wildfires that erupted on Hawaii.

The most significant of the blazes, which exploded in Lahaina on Maui, ignited last Tuesday.

Nearly one week before, on Aug. 2, the weather service office in Honolulu warned of dry conditions and potentially strong easterly trade winds as Hurricane Dora entered the central Pacific on a westward track. 

By Thursday, Aug. 3, the agency warned “critical fire weather conditions are... a real concern.”

The next day, the office warned a fire weather watch would soon be issued to highlight the threat as winds from Hurricane Dora were expected to come in, the Keetch Byram Drought Index was forecast to reach “the critical 600 mark,” and leeward relative humidity was forecast to fall below 45%.

By Sunday, Aug. 6, the agency set a fire weather watch for Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 7-8, for leeward parts of the island, “where critical fire conditions are most likely to develop.”

The agency warned Sunday that “along with strong winds, very dry air will also be moving into the region, creating significant fire weather concerns as well.”

By Monday the 7th, a high wind warning and a red flag warning — meaning extreme fire behavior was possible — were in place.

The fire in Lahaina broke out early last Tuesday.

As blazes burned in different areas of Maui that day, the red flag warning was extended to 6 a.m. Wednesday because of the continued dry conditions, low humidity and strong and gusty easterly winds.

Maui church unscathed by fires

Elisha Fieldstadt

A Facebook post from St. Anthony Maui Parish showed the church still standing amid the destruction of the wildfires.

"Our Lady of Victory stands," the hopeful post said.

Jason Momoa tells tourists, ‘Do not travel to Maui’

Ariana Brockington, TODAY

Jason Momoa is delivering a stern message to tourists who plan to visit Maui during the  deadliest wildfire in modern U.S. history.

Momoa, 44, a Hawaii native who has been using social media to help with rescue and fundraising efforts, posted his warning Friday on  Instagram . 

“Maui is not the place to have your vacation right now,” he wrote. “DO NOT TRAVEL TO MAUI.”

He continued, “Do not convince yourself that your presence is needed on an island that is suffering this deeply.”

He also thanked everyone who has been sending donations and love to the community as it is being devastated by raging fires. 

Hawaii governor to hold news conference

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green will hold a wildfires news briefing at 3:30 p.m. local time (9:30 p.m. ET), his office said.

Wireless service returning to Maui

Nearly a week since wildfires erupted on Maui, cell service is slowly returning to the island.

Verizon Wireless said service was restored along Highway 37 in Ulupalakua and Keokea and to the Upcountry. Partial service was restored to part of West Maui.

Verizon said that there is “significant” structural damage to cell sites serving Lahaina and that engineers are working to move a mobile cell site to restore partial service. More disaster response engineers landed Sunday in Maui. 

Meanwhile, AT&T said it restored a cell site in north Kaanapali using a portable satellite, and an AT&T drone operations pilot is on Maui to assess any damage to cell sites using a camera drone. 

T-Mobile’s emergency teams are also working to restore connectivity in Maui. Over the weekend, the company said it restored connection to sites in Kaanapali and Haleakalā, “with teams continuing to evaluate impacted sites.”

“The team deployed generators and VSATs (Very Small Aperture Terminals) — portable satellite solutions — to restore connectivity where the fire damaged local fiber connections and commercial power outages are impacting permanent cell sites,” the company said in an update Monday . “Additional microwave and satellite equipment is expected to arrive in Maui today, and the team is focused on providing connectivity to Maui’s west coast.”

‘This is just the first step in a difficult recovery process’: FEMA official

Jeremy Greenberg, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Office of Response and Recovery, shared a breakdown of what has been done so far in Maui.

“ FEMA has a permanent logistics distribution center in Hawaii and immediately after the incident occurred, started moving commodities such as food and water, protective masks, shelter equipment into Maui to support the state of Hawaii,” he said today on MSNBC.

FEMA has over 250 personnel on the ground, with 50 to 60 working in shelters and with survivors to register them for FEMA assistance, he said, which will help those who have lost their homes.

“I know that this is just the first step in a difficult recovery process,” Greenberg said.

He said the fast-moving nature of the blazes that erupted at the late hour posed challenges for first responders. 

“There’ll be a long-term recovery aspect to this certainly, but that’s why FEMA and the entire federal government are working with the state to prioritize getting everyone who’s impacted by this the assistance they need.”

For FEMA Assistance, contact (800) 621-3362 or go to FEMA’s website . 

Cadaver dogs have surveyed 3% of area to be searched on Maui

Teams of cadaver dogs have surveyed just 3% of the area to be searched on devastated Maui, Police Chief John Pelletier has said.

At a news conference over the weekend, Pelletier said, “3%, that’s what’s been searched with the dogs, 3%," referring to search teams with cadaver dogs that arrived Saturday in Maui and were scouring the areas devastated by last week’s wildfires.

“For the first few days, we had done searches of the streets and the cars in the area, but we couldn’t enter any structures,” Pelletier told NBC News. “My police officers are trained to go chase bad guys, respond to robberies, take reports. But they are not trained to enter shouldering structures to go look for human remains.”

How to help those affected by the Maui fires

Hawaii officials say the best way to assist Maui wildfire victims is to donate money. 

Here’s a list of credible relief organizations accepting donations:

Hawaii Community Foundation

Gov. Josh Green shared a link to donations to the foundation’s “Maui Strong” fund Thursday. The fund aims to provide community resilience with resources for disaster preparedness, response and recovery.

American Red Cross of Hawaii

The American Red Cross’s donations will help those displaced by the wildfire find safe shelters where they can get information and hot meals, charge their phones, pick up relief supplies and get health services. 

Aloha United Way

Aloha United Way , a nonprofit organization based in Honolulu, has created the  Maui Fire Relief Fund , with donations going directly toward efforts that support victims of the fires.

Maui Humane Society

The  Maui Humane Society  is accepting donations  on its website  and  on Facebook  to help feed and care for displaced pets, many of whom need medical treatment.

Read our full list here.

Supplies remain lacking, Kaanapali resident says

A Kaanapali resident said overnight that basic supplies remain lacking and not much had improved over the weekend.

“We need doctors! We need medicine," Albena Leon said.

She said a low-flying airplane with a loudspeaker notified residents yesterday that a market had reopened.

Residents have been running supply deliveries to a local beach using boats and jet skis, but they, too, are quickly snapped up.

“The majority came from within our island, and it looks like we have a lot one minute and then poof it’s all gone,” Leon said. “We’re rationing so that we have enough till tomorrow.”

Still, her spirit remained bright. "I have never seen in my lifetime of 54 years such an amazing group of people — our Ohana — pooling together and sharing their last food or water or medicine to help a stranger. The other islands have also come to our rescue and keep coming," she said.

Residents speak about narrowly escaping flames

A 73-year-old resident said her face and arm were burned when she frantically escaped the wildfires that tore through Maui last week.

She told NBC's Tom Llamas in an interview this morning on "TODAY" that she got no kind of alert to evacuate when the flames tore through her area.

Now she's searching for her brother, who is still missing.

“I’m so worried about everybody. Hopefully he’s still alive," she said.

The death toll is only expected to mount as just 3% of Lahaina has been searched, with much of the operation first focused on streets and cars in the area.

Noah Tomkinson, 19, and his 13-year-old brother, Milo, spent hours in the water with their mother escaping the flames.

Harrowing video show his family in the ocean not far from the shore i fierce winds. Orange flames can be seen not so far away on land, and the sky is filled with black smoke.

Tomkinson said they focused on keeping their mother warm as they waited for the blaze to die down.

“We kind of, like, all huddled around her and just wanted to keep her warm,” he said. “If any of us were alone, I don't know if we would have made it.”

'We're soon heading to recovery phase,' Hawaii official says

Retired Maj. Jeff Hickman, a spokesperson for Hawaii’s Department of Defense, said this morning on NBC’s “TODAY” show that search-and-response efforts are ramping up and that Maui will soon be heading into the recovery phase — “and that’s going to be the longest phase yet.”

He said the number of casualties is likely to rise above the latest count of 96. 

“We only have 3% of the search done, and they want to be meticulous and do it right. So right now they’re going street by street and block by block. They’re doing cars, and soon they’ll start to enter buildings,” he said.

Hickman said that the Hawaii National Guard has over 110 personnel assisting with search and rescue in Maui County and that FEMA has about 400 personnel with cadaver dogs.

"So the efforts are going to start to move a little faster than they have the past couple days, and hopefully we bring some closure to those on Maui,” he said.

Asked whether power should have been cut earlier to slow the rampant spread of the wildfires last week, Hickman said he couldn’t comment directly, but he said an investigation would take place. 

“The governor and the state attorney general is going to have a comprehensive review on what is the cause behind this fire and what steps were taken, but right now our focus is on the priority of Maui. Right now it's the needs of the people of Maui,” he said.

Hawaii resident angry with authorities for failing to warn the public

Larissa Gao

A Hawaii resident said he was angry with the government for failing to activate sirens and deliver proper alarms for residents to evacuate.

“No alarms, no warning, nothing,” Rafa Ochoa told NBC’s “Nightly News,” “not even police rolling by telling us to evacuation or anything.”

The Hawaii Emergency Services Administration said Friday that no outdoor warning sirens were triggered by either Maui or Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

“We’re mad,” Ochoa said with tears in his eyes. “We lost our homes. We lost our town. Lost history. Our kids are traumatized. You guys messed up real bad.”

Hawaiian restaurant in Seattle raises tens of thousands of dollars for fire aid

Marination, one of the most popular Hawaiian restaurants in Seattle, raised around $40,000 over the weekend for people affected by the wildfires, NBC affiliate KING of Seattle reported.

The restaurant's co-owner Kamala Saxton said she wanted to send help to Maui after she saw the heartbreaking destruction. So she decided to sell over 3,000 Spam musubi, an iconic Hawaiian snack, at $4.75 each this weekend to raise money.

“Seeing Spam musubi almost makes you feel at home,” Saxton said. “Then you eat and you’re like this is a piece of home. This is something that just brings you back to your childhood, back to family gatherings, back to luaus.”

She donated all the money to Maui Rapid Response and the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, organizations supporting the front-line emergency response, KING reported.

“We are keeping them in our thoughts,” Saxton added. “We are doing everything we can to help them, and this is just the start, and it won’t stop. We feel their pain, and we are with them.”

Fire in Maui traveled '1 mile every minute,' governor says

The “fire hurricane” in Maui spread at the rate of 1 mile per minute and destroyed the town of Lahaina on the island, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said in a video statement yesterday.

“There is very little left there,” he said in the video, which was posted yesterday afternoon. “Over 2,700 structures were destroyed in Lahaina, and an estimated value of $5.6 billion has gone away.

“But mostly there are people [who] are suffering, and we continue to work to find them,” he added.

A fire travels at this rate mainly because of the wind gusts, which officials believe were up to 81 mph, Green said.

“With those kinds of winds and 1,000-degree temperature, ultimately all the pictures that you will see will be easy to understand,” he said, “because that level of destruction and a fire hurricane — something new to us in the age of global warming — was the ultimate reason that so many people perished.”

Amid devastation, Maui fire survivors heal through faith and music

Most schools in maui will reopen this week.

Most Maui schools will welcome their employees today and students on Wednesday, but West Maui schools and King Kekaulike High in Upcountry will remain closed, according to a letter yesterday from the state Education Department to students, families and employees.

“Our hearts are heavy, and the road to recovery will be long, but I have faith in our collective strength to support one another and our students,” Superintendent Keith Hayashi wrote in the letter. “Together, we will heal, we will rebuild and Lāhainā and Maui will thrive once more.”

Hayashi also said that King Kamehameha III Elementary in Lahaina was “damaged beyond repair” and that the department is still looking for options for students in West Maui.

Although schools in West Maui will not reopen until it is safe for students to return, the department highly encouraged students displaced by the fires to enroll in neighboring schools, albeit with temporary housing.

“When children are in school, we can provide support including meals and health support,” Hayashi wrote.

Around 85% of the fire in Lahaina has been contained, officials say

Around 85% of the wildfire in Lahaina has been contained, and the estimated size of the areas that have been suppressed is 2,170 acres, according to the latest update from Maui County .

The county also reported that 60% of the fire in the Upcountry area has been contained and that 100% of the fire in the Pulehu region has been contained.

However, it also warned residents that the fire could not be declared “extinguished” even though it was 100% contained and that it could be declared “extinguished” only when the firefighters had confirmed there was nothing left to burn.

The news release was issued at 9:45 last night (3:45 a.m. ET today).

Power restored to 60% of Maui customers, utility says

Power has been restored to around 5,000 customers in West Maui and Upcountry, Hawaiian Electric said in its latest update at 1 p.m. (6 p.m. ET yesterday.

Since Tuesday, more than 60% of its customers have been brought back online, the update said.

More than 300 Hawaiian Electric Co. employees and contractors are working to restore power in West Maui and Upcountry, and other employees in neighboring areas are available to help facilitate restoration, it said.

Hawaiian Electric also warned residents to be alert when they see downed power lines and to stay away from them.

‘A fire that melted metal’: Hawaii’s wildfire is deadliest in 100 years

Breaking: death toll rises to 96.

The number of people confirmed to have died in the fires has risen to 96, according to a news release this morning from Maui County.

The update was as of 9:45 last night (3:45 a.m. ET today).

Governor issues fifth proclamation relating to wildfires

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green issued the fifth emergency proclamation yesterday about the wildfires.

The proclamation extends the disaster emergency relief period until Aug. 31.

It allows health workers from other states and former professionals without valid licenses (except for misconduct) to practice on Maui. It also removed the $10 million limit for the Major Disasters Fund.

It strongly discourages “all nonessential travel” to West Maui during the period of the proclamation to accommodate displaced residents and emergency workers.

Survivors frustrated over restricted access to Lahaina burn zone

Death toll at 93 as search for missing goes on.

The confirmed number of people killed stands at 93 this morning as crews search the charred ruins on Maui for signs of those still missing.

Officials have said they expect the death toll to increase as remains are found.

L ifeguards pulled Alexa DiGiorgio from Hanauma Bay just before 10 a.m. on a Sunday in June 2014.

The New Jersey resident had been snorkeling 50 yards offshore while her husband, Marc, helped his children and sister, who had never snorkeled before.

“When we got back to the beach, I realized I couldn’t see Alexa so I went back into the water to look for her,” Marc DiGiorgio told The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times . “Then I heard the sirens.”

Be Prepared

These websites contain important information that can keep you safe.

• Hawaii Beach Safety : Updates every 15 minutes with ocean conditions at beaches around the state, current surf and wind reports and the latest hazards and warnings.

• Kauai Explorer : Good information about beaches and trails on the Garden Isle including safety tips.

• Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources : Safety advice based on activities, from snorkeling to body surfing, plus information about staying safe in the outdoors while hiking.

• National Weather Service : Updated information about the latest ocean warnings, surf and weather forecasts and safety advice.

• Hawaii Tourism Authority : Travel safety tips from the state’s largest tourism agency.

• Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii : Helps visitors who have suffered a tragedy, including crime victims.

Lifeguards found Alexa in less than 3 feet of water. They pulled her to shore, where she received first aid.

DiGiorgio was taken in critical condition to an Oahu hospital, where she died. She was 42.

Despite being touted as a leisure activity, snorkeling is the most common cause of injury-related death in the islands. In the last 10 years, more than half of all visitors who drowned in the Aloha State did so while snorkeling.

Hanauma Bay, an iconic nature preserve, receives more than 1 million visitors annually. More tourists drown there than anywhere else in the state. But it is far from the only location where Hawaii’s visitors run into trouble while snorkeling.

“A lot of people think, ‘Well, Hanauma Bay is really shallow, so if I get into trouble, I’ll just stand up.’ Well, a lot of the rescues and drownings occur in waist-deep water,” said Alan Hong, an avid waterman who managed the bay for 21 years .

“For a neophyte snorkeler, what you don’t realize is when you’re wearing fins, it’s not an easy thing to stand up in very shallow water because this extended foot length that the fin causes makes it very difficult to get your feet under you when you’re floating face down,” he said.

“So if you get a gulp of water in you, and you start to gag and you decide to try to stand up, it could be several more seconds before you get your feet under you in a way that you can stand up, and by then you’ve taken another gulp and it’s downhill from there.”

Officials with the Honolulu Parks Department and Hanauma Bay’s current manager did not respond to requests for an interview for this story.

State Department of Health data shows that since 2005, more than 128 visitors have drowned snorkeling in Hawaii’s waters, from Kaanapali on Maui to Shark’s Cove on Oahu to Haena Beach Park on Kauai.

Of those, most were men in their 50s and 60s, and more than 40 percent had heart conditions.

Most of the deaths occurred in less than 3 feet of water.

Jung Aee Kim was an active member of the Korean community in Dallas. She sang in the St. Andrew Kim Catholic Church choir and volunteered in the community. She was also a champion amateur golfer.

In August, the 75-year-old took a vacation to Maui with her family. Her last day was spent snorkeling in “Turtle Town” with a tour group outside of Maalaea Harbor.

The Texas resident was found face down in the water around the vessel and was brought back on board. A bystander began CPR as the vessel traveled about 30 minutes back to Maalaea Harbor to meet with paramedics, but she was pronounced dead shortly after the tour group arrived.

Health professionals say the key to survival is being able to get the victim out of the water — and to medical attention — as quickly as possible.

Nearly 80 percent more drownings happened two miles away from a lifeguard tower than within a half-mile, according to Hawaii Department of Health data.

Yet due to the relatively stationary nature of snorkeling, it can be difficult for tour operators, lifeguards or others to spot a person in distress.

“When you’ve got six or seven hundred people face down, and you’re trying to figure out which one didn’t move in the last 30 seconds, that’s pretty hard to figure out,” said Jim Howe, who recently retired as chief of Honolulu’s Ocean Safety division.

Mark Vu, an anesthesiologist at Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu, said breathing through a snorkel poses a unique challenge for swimmers. The situation can turn deadly when combined with a pre-existing health condition.

“Visitors who come to Hawaii may not be good swimmers … and likely overexert themselves doing an activity they are not familiar with like swimming or snorkeling,” he said. “They quickly become physically overwhelmed.”

The physics of using a snorkel also can add to the risk. Snorkels have a “dead space” of bad air — the air that is being exhaled but stays in the snorkel tube. Snorkelers have to get fresh air by breathing through the dead space. But that can increase carbon dioxide in a person’s blood.

“The rise in carbon dioxide in your body makes you sleepy,” Vu said. “Sleepy snorkelers eventually drown.”

Medical experts say other aspects of a vacation in Hawaii — like prolonged sun exposure or one too many mai tais — can further increase visitors’ risk of drowning by adding to their exhaustion.

Roughly 14 percent of drowning victims in Hawaii have traces of alcohol in their system, according to Health Department data.

Dan Galanis, a state epidemiologist, said interpreting the data can be challenging.

“Is there something inherently risky about snorkeling, or is it just something that’s just pretty widely available when you come here as a visitor and it’s something you’re going to do besides just swimming? It’s probably a little bit of both,” he said.

“We do think that the act of snorkeling imposes physical challenges for some people that might contribute to the drowning chain of events,” Galanis said. “We want to promote awareness that snorkeling does require a level of fitness; there is a bit of a learning curve.”

Ocean safety personnel say unfamiliarity with snorkeling and ocean conditions is the top reason visitors get themselves in trouble while snorkeling.

“They’re probably the least qualified in assessing their abilities in the ocean, and also their abilities to assess what the ocean conditions are and what abilities will be required to safely partake in the ocean,” said Hong.

A simple online search shows many marine tour companies sell snorkeling as an activity that anyone can do . And for some companies, it’s “no problem” if a visitor doesn’t know how to swim.

Most snorkel tour and rental companies provide training on how to use a snorkel. But only prior snorkeling experience can prepare visitors for water in their mask or navigating the currents, reefs and waves in Hawaii .

Snorkel Bob’s, the largest snorkeling outfit in the state, teaches visitors how to adjust a snorkel and mask. The company also gives out a safety pamphlet to each customer.

Robert Wintner, the owner of Snorkel Bob’s, said having durable and well-fitting snorkeling equipment is paramount to preventing accidents in the water.

“If your mask leaks, it will really exacerbate the feeling of panic,” he said. “If you’re short on breath and you add a couple of teaspoons of salt water in the mask, it’s a bad situation.”

Wintner said most people get in trouble because they panic, which can easily happen when they breath in water from their snorkel. He said it’s also common that his customers have never snorkeled before.

“I’ve been amazed personally that a number of people that snorkel here have never seen the ocean,” Wintner said.

Josh Guerra, a lifeguard at Hanauma Bay and a personal watercraft rescuer for Honolulu’s Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services Division, said all of this leads to problems at the state’s busiest snorkeling destination — Hanauma Bay.

“I’ve heard people tell me that the tour operators are telling them, ‘Oh, you don’t have to know how to swim or snorkel,’” he said. “You actually need to be a pretty strong swimmer and very comfortable in the water to use a mask and snorkel because your breathing is limited.”

Guerra rescues two to six visitors a day, often in 2 to 3 feet of water.

Problems arise when people try to avoid standing on the sharp coral of the underwater reefs they are viewing.

Coral that’s already threatened by bleaching and other environmental factors can be damaged when touched by snorkelers or their fins. So many tour operators tell visitors to avoid stepping on it.

But that can be a problem if they are struggling.

“We’ve got the folks who run the preserves saying don’t stand on the reef because it’s going to hurt the reef environmentally, but we’ve got the lifeguards saying if you’re in trouble, stand up so you don’t die,” Howe said. “It’s very difficult for the visitor to understand. Who do I listen to? Well, in my world, stand up, don’t die.”

Disclosure: Reporter Nathan Eagle is Alan Hong’s son-in-law.

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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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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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Death Toll Soars in Maui, as Rescue Crews Scour Decimated Town

Lahaina lay in ruins following a wildfire that the governor said most likely killed more than 60 people, making it the deadliest in Hawaii’s history.

By Mike Baker and Thomas Fuller

Mike Baker reported from Lahaina, Hawaii. Thomas Fuller reported from California.

The death toll in a historic Maui town leveled by a wildfire soared to 53 on Thursday as the U.S. military joined search and rescue operations in the charred ruins of one of Hawaii’s most celebrated tourist destinations.

Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii said on Thursday that the number of fatalities from the disaster, already the deadliest wildfire in the state’s history, would likely exceed the 61 people lost when a tsunami crashed into the Big Island in 1960.

“What we’ve seen today has been catastrophic,” Mr. Green said at a news conference Thursday afternoon, calling the fire “likely the largest natural disaster in Hawaii state history.”

Before this week’s fire, Front Street in the western Maui town of Lahaina was a leafy, oceanside tourist thoroughfare of art galleries, souvenir shops and restaurants. The firestorm decimated the street, burning right down to the edge of the Pacific Ocean, a grasslands wildfire that became a house-to-house urban inferno.

Along Front Street, wood-framed stores were unrecognizable. Other structures were reduced to concrete shells. Some 270 structures — including homes, businesses, a school and a church — were destroyed or heavily damaged, the authorities said.

Images of the smoldering ruins on Front Street offered testament to a panicked escape. A collection of charred vehicles, their tires vaporized, clogged the pavement at odd angles. Some cars jutted onto a sidewalk that in calmer times offered an unfettered view of the Pacific Ocean.

Some survivors escaped into the waves — the Coast Guard on Thursday reported they had rescued 17 people from the ocean. There was no way of knowing how many occupants of the homes or vehicles did not get out in time.

Lionel Montalvo, a retired fire chief for the Maui Fire Department, said in an interview on Thursday that many elderly would likely be among those killed.

“I believe that a lot of people stayed in their homes expecting the Fire Department to show up and put out the fire,” he said. Some older people in the community are accustomed to smoke from the days when sugar cane fields were burned at harvest time, he said. They might not have felt that alarmed when they smelled the smoke, he said.

Officials said identifying the remains of the dead among the ashes would be a long, painstaking process. Chief John Pelletier of the Maui County Police Department described Lahaina as “hallowed sacred ground” because of the number of remains around the town. The region’s FEMA administrator said that cadaver dogs are being sent from Washington and California to search for human remains. Asked how many people were missing, Chief Pelletier said: “Honestly we don’t know.” The lack of internet and power were hampering the search, he said.

The Maui wildfire carries the highest death toll of any fire in the United States since the 2018 Camp fire in California that killed 85 people.

By Thursday, the fire was largely contained, the authorities said, and search and rescue efforts were being aided by 30 members of the U.S. military. Thousands of tourists were evacuated from the island, including London Breed, San Francisco’s mayor, who was vacationing on Maui when the fire struck. Thousands more were crowding shelters on the island.

“We are going to need to house thousands of people,” the governor said on Thursday. He urged people across the state to open their homes to those made homeless by the fires.

Some residents of Lahaina raised questions over the timeliness of evacuation orders. A number of survivors said they fled because they saw the fire, not because of any instructions from authorities. The Maui County mayor, Richard T. Bissen Jr., said at the news conference on Thursday that “mandatory evacuations did take place” in affected areas, but he did not address why many people said they got no alerts.

Evacuation orders posted to social media show a confused picture. Areas around the Lahaina Intermediate School, on the eastern edge of town, were ordered to evacuate at 6:40 a.m. on Tuesday. Two and a half hours later, the Fire Department declared that the fire had been “100 percent contained.” But the fire flared back up, and new evacuation orders did not come until late that afternoon, after 4 p.m.

Cole Millington, who runs a hot sauce company in Lahaina, said the fire came with breathtaking speed. Within 15 minutes of seeing smoke outside his window, he and his roommates left their home. The street was on fire, and fallen power lines and trees were blocking the way. No one knew what was going on, he said, and traffic out of Lahaina was at a standstill. Everything he owns is now gone, he said.

Tad Craig, a wedding photographer, described hearing exploding propane tanks and being buffeted by winds so powerful that smoke from the fires was blowing sideways. “It was just a total inferno — Armageddon,” he said.

At around 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Michele Numbers-Stefl looked out a window of the home that she shares with her husband, Mark Stefl, in Lahaina and saw flames on a hill about 500 yards away.

“Oh, my God! Pack up the dogs, there’s a fire there!” she yelled to her husband, according to Mr. Stefl.

He told her, “Don’t worry, the Fire Department will put it out.”

Within what felt like mere seconds, Mr. Stefl said, the wildfire, fanned by the raging winds, had raced down the hill and was just 30 yards from their house. “When I turned around, it was right there. That’s how fast it was,” Mr. Stefl said. “It was like a freight train coming down the mountain.”

He and his wife ran to their cars, trying to scoop up their two dogs and two cats on the way. “We literally ran down the stairs, grabbed cats and dogs and backed up the drive through black smoke, fire, heat, just flying through,” Mr. Stefl said.

Mr. Stefl, 67, a tile setter, drove his pickup. His wife was in her Kia Sorento.

“I couldn’t see where I was driving and drove down the hill, and next thing you know, the town’s on fire,” Mr. Stefl said. “The fire was just traveling too fast and too hot, and next thing you know Lahaina Town is gone, literally gone.”

Brian Ferguson, a spokesman for the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, for which wildfires are a constant challenge, said Hawaii authorities might have had trouble alerting tourists to danger.

“Alerts are the lifeblood of getting people to safety in a crisis,” Mr. Ferguson said. “But if you’re visiting from New Jersey, are you signed up for emergency alerts? Probably not.”

Hawaii’s emergency response also has geographic disadvantages, Mr. Ferguson said. Tens of thousands of state and local firefighters are on constant alert in California, for instance; Hawaii, a rural state, has a far lower population and far fewer emergency medical workers. Access to mutual aid and firefighting equipment is also far easier on the mainland, he noted. “Honolulu can’t just drive extra fire trucks over, if Maui needs them,” he said.

The cause of the wildfires was not yet known. However, in recent years brush fires in Maui have been fueled by nonnative grasses that overtook abandoned pineapple and sugar cane plantations, according to Clay Trauernicht, a tropical fire specialist at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Declining rainfall, a result of weather patterns and of rising temperatures likely influenced by climate change, have also increased the risk.

This week a hurricane hundreds of miles south of the Hawaii islands helped to create the dangerous conditions that drove the fire across western Maui and into Lahaina, meteorologists said. The hurricane pulled in moisture, reinforcing the already dry conditions on Maui.

Robert Bohlin with the Hawaii Weather Office said that the strong winds accelerated when they hit Maui’s mountains, similar to the effect of a strong water current hitting a rock and speeding up on the other side. The vicious winds propelled the flames into the town, turning a wildfire into an urban one.

A number of landmarks in the historic town appear to have been destroyed, including the Baldwin Home Museum, a former missionary compound and the oldest standing home on the island.

One of the town’s cherished landmarks is still standing: a 150-year-old banyan tree on Front Street. But it appears to have been badly singed by the fire, and whether the tree will survive is unclear.

The tree was just eight feet tall when it was planted in 1873 to commemorate a Protestant mission to Lahaina a half-century earlier. However, years of careful tending by residents helped the banyan tree grow to more than 60 feet tall, according to the Lahaina Restoration Foundation, which manages more than a dozen historic sites in the town.

“It’s said that if the roots are healthy, it will likely grow back,” county officials said in an update about the tree late Wednesday. “But it looks burned.”

The damage to Maui businesses also appears substantial. Theo Morrison, executive director of the foundation, said that the damage in Lahaina, particularly to its historic district, is significant.

“People haven’t just lost homes,” she said. “They’re going to lose jobs, and we have just lost a big part of our economy. Those historic sites were part of what made Lahaina such a special place.”

Mike Baker reported from Lahaina, Hawaii, and Thomas Fuller from San Francisco. Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs , Jill Cowan , Colbi Edmonds , Jacey Fortin , Shawn Hubler , Judson Jones , Michael Levenson and Simon Romero contributed reporting.

Mike Baker is the Seattle bureau chief, reporting primarily from the Northwest and Alaska. More about Mike Baker

Thomas Fuller is the San Francisco bureau chief. Before moving to California he reported from more than 40 countries for The Times and International Herald Tribune, mainly in Europe and Southeast Asia . More about Thomas Fuller

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Michigan family files lawsuit against Hawaii tourism authority over snorkeling dangers after long flights

By Paul Drewes

Click here for updates on this story

    HONOLULU ( KITV ) — A Michigan family filed a lawsuit against the Hawaii’s Tourism Authority, and other visitor groups, because they don’t warn tourists about potential dangers of snorkeling soon after flying.

Every year thousands come to Hawaii, and many take time to snorkel while they are here.

“The waters are so clear here, and I wanted to see what is underneath it. It was really cool, I got to see baby fish,” said Karissa Weaver, a first time snorkeler from Colorado.

Because of Hawaii’s relatively calm protected waters at popular snorkeling sites, some visitors view it as safe.

“It depends on your equipment. If you have decent equipment, it is relatively safe,” stated David Urane, an experienced snorkeler from California.

Equipment can play an important part in that safety. According to the Hawaii Snorkel Safety Study, the shape and design of the snorkel can caused it to have a low to high resistance to inhalation.

The higher the resistance, the higher the risk of developing Rapid Onset Pulmonary Edema, known as ROPE. That causes lungs to fill up with fluid because of negative pressure, and doesn’t allow people to take in oxygen.

It is believed to be one of the reasons why drowning by snorkeling is the number one cause of death for visitors to the islands, more than almost all other ocean activities combined.

But unlike typical drownings where people swallow water, and may thrash around in active distress, those suffering from ROPE can get short of breath, become confused, lose strength and then lose consciousness without showing signs of distress.

“It didn’t make sense. When I got the autopsy report, it said drowning. I watched Ray come in. When you are drowning, you are not talking to the people around you,” said his wife Patricia.

Patricia and Ray Johnson had been to Hawaii a half dozen times, and Ray had snorkeled in the islands numerous times.

“He was an experienced swimmer and snorkeler. But in February 2022, while snorkeling off Maui he had trouble breathing. A friend helped him to shore, but he died on the beach,” stated Jay Stuemke, the Johnson family attorney.

His symptoms are consistent of a ROPE drowning. The Hawaii Snorkeling Safety Study found along with health conditions increasing the risk for ROPE, there is the possibility long flights can too.

Stuemke says that contributed to Ray’s death, “What long haul flights do, is it has an effect on your lungs. After 3 days you are back to normal, but if you snorkel after that long flight there is a substantial increased risk of death.”

Now the Johnsons are suing not only the hotel where Ray rented the snorkel gear, but also the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the Hawaii Visitors Convention Bureau. The Johnson family feels all of those groups knew about the dangers of snorkeling after long flights, but did not warn visitors.

“If warnings are effectively communicated, snorkelers can make informed choices about what risks to take,” added Stuemke.

The snorkel study did not conclude snorkeling after air travel raised ROPE risks, but the study stated it could be a factor and should be looked into further. The Johnsons want every visitor to know about any and ALL potential risks.

“After flying 10 hours, we would have waited 72 hours. His lungs would have recovered from whatever being in a pressurized cabin does to your lungs,” added Patricia.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

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Woman files lawsuit against Hawaii tourism authority over snorkeling dangers

A Michigan woman is warning others after her husband died while snorkeling in Hawaii. She has since filed a lawsuit against their hotel, the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the Hawaii Visitors Convention Bureau.

"There's barely a minute in my life that goes by that I don't think about him," said Patti Johnson.

She says her husband of 38 years, Ray Johnson, was snorkeling with friends during their vacation in Hawaii when suddenly something wasn't right.

The 64-year-old was keeping his head above water and heading to shore but seemed out of sorts.

"Soon they started yelling, call 911! That's when I ran to the beach. And I ran -- I got onto the beach. They were pulling him out. His head snapped back and I believe at that point he was gone," Patti recalled.

Medical professionals were unable to resuscitate the 64-year-old. The family said the autopsy ruled it a drowning.

"It didn't make sense when I received the autopsy report that just said it drowning. And I was like, I was watching him come in. When you're drowning, I don't think you're making your way in. I don't think you're talking to the people you're with," she said.

The couple had been to Hawaii a half dozen times, and Ray had snorkeled in the islands numerous times, CNN reported.

"He was an experienced swimmer and snorkeler. But in February 2022, while snorkeling off Maui he had trouble breathing. A friend helped him to shore, but he died on the beach," stated Jay Stuemke, the Johnson family attorney.

Patti said she believes her husband died because of a little-known medical condition called rapid onset pulmonary edema, or ROPE.

It can happen when breathing is restricted, with fluid building up in the lungs, causing a lack of oxygen and sometimes leading to losing consciousness.

"Patients or people who are out snorkeling will notice an increase in shortness of breath is one thing, but then they'll also become confused," explained Dr. Meilan Han, chief of pulmonary & critical care medicine at the University of Michigan.

Stuemke says their long flight contributed to Ray's death.

"What long haul flights do, is it has an effect on your lungs," she said. "After 3 days you are back to normal, but if you snorkel after that long flight there is a substantial increased risk of death."

Patti is now suing the resort where she and her husband were staying, along with state and local tourism, alleging they failed to educate the public about the potential dangers of ROPE.

The Johnson family feels all of those groups knew about the dangers of snorkeling after long flights, but did not warn visitors.

"If warnings are effectively communicated, snorkelers can make informed choices about what risks to take," added Stuemke.

ABC News says all of those organizations declined to comment.

A 2021 study suggests ROPE might be to blame for some snorkeling deaths, with people dying due to lower-than-normal levels of oxygen rather than drowning. However, experts say more research is needed to fully understand if this is the case.

"After flying 10 hours, we would have waited 72 hours. His lungs would have recovered from whatever being in a pressurized cabin does to your lungs," Patti said.

But even beyond ROPE, the case is shining a light on snorkeling safety.

Drowning is by far the most common cause of death for Hawaiian tourists, with the majority of those deaths happening while snorkeling.

"I don't want other people to go through what we have gone through and to lose a family member to -- lose your husband in this way," Patti said. "It's just heartbreaking and it's avoidable, and so just, you know, just to please be aware of this. Make people aware."

CNN contributed to this post.

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Wife files lawsuit after husband’s death while snorkeling in Hawaii

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Wife files lawsuit after husband’s death while snorkeling in Hawaii

Patti Johnson said her husband died of Rapid Onset Pulmonary Edema, or ROPE, and is suing her resort and tourism officials for failing to educate the public about the medical condition.

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