Hawai‘i Police Department K9 locates missing elderly man in national park
An elderly man who was reported missing within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park was found with the help of the Hawai‘i Police Department’s scent-discriminating canine, Trina.
This is the second time in two months that K9 Trina has located a missing person. She was responsible for locating an endangered teenager last month in Waikōloa.
According to a news release from police on Tuesday, Oct. 20, Puna Patrol officers received a report on Monday at 12:16 p.m. regarding a missing 70-year-old O‘ahu man who was last known to be in the Volcano area and had not been seen for more than 24 hours.
Based on his age and information obtained during the investigation, the man was considered endangered, prompting a search of the surrounding area.
During the investigation, officers located the man’s unoccupied rental vehicle within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Hawai‘i Police Department and National Park personnel conducted extensive search efforts, with aerial assistance provided by a Hawai‘i Fire Department helicopter.
K9 Trina, accompanied by her handler, Officer Christopher Ross, of the Area II Juvenile Aid Section, responded to the area and joined in the search.
At 7:30 p.m., K9 Trina successfully located the missing man on a trail, approximately two miles from where his rental vehicle had been located. The man was safely carried back to the trailhead and was transported to Hilo Benioff Medical Center for medical treatment for dehydration and exposure.
Trina, a 3-year-old Labrador Retriever from Sweden, is trained as a live-find human tracking canine. She is tasked with assisting in searches for missing children and endangered adults throughout Hawai‘i Island.
