Police Identify Lava Hiking Victim; Autopsy Pending

A man who died while hiking across the lava flow plain at the base of Kilauea volcano has been identified as 57-year-old Riccardo Scagliati of Victoria, British Columbia.

Police said Scagliati and a companion set out to view lava activity from the Kalapana area Tuesday morning and got lost during their return.

Scagliati became disoriented and overheated and fell to the ground, police said.

His 57-year-old hiking companion went for help and more water but was unable to find his way back to Scagliati’s location.

Fire personnel in Chopper 1, the fire department’s Hilo-based rescue helicopter, later found Scagliati’s body near the now lava-covered Kalapana Gardens subdivision.

An autopsy has been scheduled for Friday.