A hiker has died at a viewing platform at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The 70-year-old from Arizona passed away on Sunday at around 11pm at the Keanakakoi viewing overlook.
Other park visitors called 911 and tried to administer CPR, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene and taken north to the Hilo Medical Center. According to Hawaii News Now, he is believed to have died from natural causes, but the park hasn't released any further information.
The Keanakakoi overlook gives visitors a view into the volcano's crater, which was covered by lava flow in 1877. The National Park Service suggests that the eruption may have been covered a quarry that was the source of hard rock used to make tools such as axes. Another eruption in 1974 covered the crater in another 20 feet of lava, bringing the floor up to its current level.
The outlook is a mile's easy hike from the trailhead. The route is currently closed to vehicles following damage from the 2018 and 2021 eruptions, but remains open to foot traffic.
In addition to the view of the crater, visitors can enjoy a view of the summits of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea on a clear day.
If you want to see an active eruption, the nearby Devastation Trail takes visitors past the Halema'uma'u Crater, which began erupting on January 5. It's best viewed in the evening or early morning, when you can see lava and plumes of gas.
