Hawaii firefighter dies after being swept into storm drain

A 24-year-old Hawaiian firefighter died after being swept away into a storm drain amid severe flooding on the island of Maui, officials said.

Tre’ Evans-Dumaran was helping residents on January 27 during a massive storm that caused severe flooding on the Hawaiian island when he was pulled into the storm drain.

He was found where the storm drain emptied into the ocean, about half a mile away, and was brought to Maui Memorial Medical Center in critical condition.

Maui County officials said he was “showing positive and promising signs of progress” until Saturday, when they announced the news of his death.

His mother, Chelsie Evans, thanked the community for their condolences in a statement shared by the county.

“We want to thank the whole community for the outpouring of love during this time,” she said.

“My heart tells me that Tre’ means thank you for loving his family, his fire ‘ohana, his friends during this time. He wants people to keep giving blood, to keep playing their role as heroes , as he lived every day on Earth.

Evans-Dumaran had worked for the department for more than three years and his love for community service was evident, Fire Chief Brad Ventura said in a statement.

“Tre’ loved being a firefighter and he loved those he worked with. Serving the community came naturally to him because he was so happy to serve people,” Ventura said.

Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said the community was “devastated” by the sudden loss.

“Every day, our emergency responders put their lives on the line to help others, watching over the community they serve. It is a reminder of that risk and the brave work they are doing for all of us,” Bissen said.

“In his fight to recover, we rallied behind Tre’ as he would for others. We will focus on supporting the ‘ohana of Tre and his fellow firefighters with comfort and prayers.