A 25-year-old Puna man died today after the tractor he was driving fell off a cliff and into a stream above Hilo.
Police identified the victim as Jose Luiz Hernandez-Miranda of Keaau.
Hernandez-Miranda was operating a Ford tractor on a farm on Mailekea Road, which is located off Kaiwiki Road, when he got too close to a 12-foot cliff and both he and the tractor went over the edge.
Fire department paramedics arriving at the scene shortly before noon found Hernandez-Miranda in the streambed next to the tractor. Hernandez-Miranda was unresponsive and had no pulse, a fire department spokesman said.
Chopper 1 was used to lift him to a waiting ambulance which transported him to Hilo Medical Center. He was pronounced dead at the hospital at 12:38 p.m.
An autopsy will be done to determine the cause of death.
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