Maui County fined >$144K in firefighter accidental death

KIHEI, Hawaii (KHON2) — In January, the Maui Fire Department suffered a devastating loss.

In Kihei, it was reported that 24-year-old Maui firefighter Tre Evans-Dumaran was swept out to sea via a storm drain while attempting to mitigate lives lost due to flooding.

He later succumbed to his injuries while in critical condition at the hospital.

On Wednesday, April 19, the State of Hawaiʻi announced that they are fining the County of Maui for his accidental death.

The fine is more than $144,000 for the accidental death of the Maui firefighter.

The Hawai’i Occupational Safety and Health Division said they filed a report fining Maui County’s Public Works Department and the Maui Fire Department.

According to the State, the fire department did not provide firefighters with proper safety equipment such as flotation devices.

The State also said that the Public Works Department should have replaced the grating over the storm drain to ensure its proper function.

In January, Maui County Officials said the firefighter was responding with a crew to flooded residences when he was caught up in a four-foot-wide storm drain.

According MFD, the storm waters carried Evans-Dumaran approximately 800 yards to where the drain empties into the ocean.

His crew along with volunteers located his body and was able to retrieve the firefighter from the shoreline.

The firefighter was then transported to Maui Memorial Medical Center where he was in critical condition.

Officials said that Fire Chief Brad Ventura and Mayor Richard Bissen, Jr. immediately went to the hospital to support the firefighter’s family.

Evans-Dumaran succumbed to his injuries a few days later.