Hawaii
Dangerous Hawaii river lures visitors to their deaths
One of the deadliest places on the island of Hawaii is also a state park. The Wailuku River State Park in Hilo includes the state’s second longest river, where visitors and locals take in the natural beauty at two lookouts: the 80-foot-tall Rainbow Falls and an area about 1.5 miles farther upstream known as “Boiling Pots,” where there are more waterfalls and pools.
Hundreds of thousands of visitors per year frequent the picturesque area to see the different falls, while locals will sometimes spend afternoons there picnicking. But Wailuku, which translates to “waters of destruction,” refers to how dangerous this river can be. Warning signs discourage locals and visitors from stepping beyond the trail and railings; however, some people choose to ignore them.
Over the past 29 years, 27 people have died in these waters. In November 2017, a San Diego couple died after being swept away by a current above Rainbow Falls. In March 2022, the body of a Hilo man was found floating at the bottom of the falls.
The last fatality occurred at Boiling Pots in September when witnesses saw a Florida man “enter the water and immediately be pulled under the rapids,” according to a Hawaii News Now report. The Hawaii Fire Department recovered his body about 30 feet underwater.
Despite its name, Boiling Pots is not hot. It’s in reference to its large terraced pools created by the erosion of old lava flows. On calm days, it looks like individual pots of water, but when the water is turbulent, the water appears to be boiling.
Even on calm days, swimmers have drowned. Strong currents, coupled with the underwater geology of tunnels, ridges and shelves, can trap them and make it impossible to resurface.
“We are quite used to the helicopters and other emergency personnel spending hours and days searching for people and often for bodies at Boiling Pots,” Hawaii County Councilmember Jennifer Kagiwada, who lives in the neighborhood, told SFGATE in an email.
She recently proposed that new signs be installed, which would list the dates of when people have died in this section of the Wailuku River, as a way of discouraging visitors from bypassing the other warning signs already there.
“Since about half the deaths in this part of the river were visitors and half locals, it is important that everyone becomes aware of the dangers here. Some very strong swimmers have died, along with visitors with fewer water skills,” she said.
This strategy has worked on hiking trails, such as at Olomana Trail on Oahu, where six hikers fell to their deaths within a 13-year time span. Since its sign was posted two years ago, there have been zero fatalities on the windward trail. On Kauai, the Kalalau Trail also has handmade signs counting deaths, which instruct visitors to pause and assess the waters before deciding whether or not to cross the stream.
Although an additional sign may help, Hawaii Fire Department Chief Kazuo Todd told Hawaii News Now that it can’t be placed at every point of the river, so sharing information about the dangers is important. “Educating friends, family, relatives that are visiting, or even just people getting off of various ships that are coming to port as part of the tour operations,” he said.
Kagiwada, who held a community meeting about the new sign proposal in November, said she is in contact with the Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources, which manages the state park, and is providing feedback from constituents.
The state department told SFGATE that community input is being considered. “After any revision process, the sign may take up to three weeks (or more) to receive depending on materials in stock, and the installation date and location is to be determined,” the department said.
Editor’s note: SFGATE recognizes the importance of diacritical marks in the Hawaiian language. We are unable to use them due to the limitations of our publishing platform.
The East Hawaii community is invited to join state Rep. Chris Todd for a town hall focused on a recap of the 2026 legislative session and important updates impacting Hawaii Island residents.
Todd represents House District 3 (portion of Hilo, Keaukaha, Orchidland Estates, Ainaloa, Hawaiian Acres, Fern Acres, portions of Kurtistown and Keaau).
Community members will have the opportunity to ask questions, share concerns and engage in discussions about legislative priorities and local issues.
The town hall is from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 31, at the Keaukaha Elementary School Cafeteria, 240 Desha Ave. in Hilo
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Honolulu Fire Department is preparing to open recruitment for new firefighter recruits.
The application period for recruits will open June 2 and run through June 4.
HFD officials are encouraging people interested in public service, emergency response and teamwork to explore a career in the fire service.
Firefighters respond to emergencies across Oahu, including fires, rescues, hazardous materials incidents, crashes and medical calls.
Recruits will receive extensive training, including emergency medical response and search-and-rescue operations.
Interested applicants are encouraged to begin preparing now for the physical and mental demands of the profession.
For more information, visit fire.honolulu.gov.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
Hawaii
Tourist accused of hurling rock at endangered Hawaiian monk seal was trying to protect sea turtles, lawyer says
The defense attorney for a tourist from Washington state accused of hurling a coconut-sized rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal says his client was trying to protect sea turtles and has since been physically assaulted, threatened and doxed.
Igor Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Washington, is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Honolulu Wednesday on charges of harassing and attempting to harass a protected animal.
Earlier this month, a witness recorded what prosecutors say was a video of him throwing the rock at a Hawaiian monk seal at a Maui beach. He later made arrangements to surrender in the Seattle area as special agents with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were seeking to arrest him, prosecutors said.
The video drew widespread condemnation and demands for prosecution in Hawaii, including from Maui’s mayor. Scientists identified the seal as an adult male known as “R404,” NOAA said.
According to prosecutors, a state Department of Land and Natural Resources officer investigated a report of Hawaiian monk seal harassment in Lahaina, the community that was largely destroyed by a deadly wildfire in 2023. A witness showed the officer video of the seal swimming in shallow water while a man watched from shore.
The video showed Lytvynchuk throwing the rock, directly at the seal, narrowly missing its head, prosecutors said in a criminal complaint.
Maui resident Kaylee Schnitzer, 18, told HawaiiNewsNow she witnessed the incident while taking photos nearby.
“What he was picking up was like a rock the size of a coconut,” Schnitzer said. “It wasn’t no small rock. It was the size of a coconut. And he threw it right, directly aiming towards the monk seal’s head.”
When a witness confronted Lytvynchuk, he said “he did not care and was ‘rich’ enough to pay any fines,” according to the complaint.
Afterward, a man “brutally assaulted” Lytvynchuk, his defense attorney Myles Breiner told The Associated Press. Lytvynchuk declined to file a police report on the assault, the attorney said.
Breiner explained his client had been to Hawaii previously and was familiar with sea turtles, but not Hawaiian monk seals. Lytvynchuk is a fisherman and thought the seal was an aggressive sea lion, the lawyer said.
“So his response was not to hurt this monk seal, but to get it away from the turtles,” Breiner said.
The incident shows NOAA must do more to educate the public about protecting Hawaiian monk seals, Hawaii’s U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, a Democrat, said in a statement.
Since the video surfaced, Lytvynchuk has faced death threats and doxing, including receiving a package at his home containing what appeared to be feces, Breiner said.
He said his client is being treated unfairly because he’s a white outsider. “The vast majority of attacks on monk seal and turtle are by locals,” he said.
Lytvynchuk is charged with violations of the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Hawaiian monk seals are a critically endangered species. Only 1,600 remain in the wild.
“The unique and precious wildlife of the Hawaiian Islands are renowned symbols of Hawaii’s special place in the world and its incredible biodiversity,” U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson said in a statement. “We are committed to protecting our vulnerable wild species, in particular, endangered Hawaiian monk seals.”
If convicted, he faces up to one year in prison for each charge. He also faces a fine of up to $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act and a fine of up to $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
In 2016, a man was seen on video appearing to beat a pregnant Hawaiian monk seal in shallow water.
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