Autopsy shows Hawaii Island woman died from Lala storm-related injuries

HILO (HawaiiNewsNow) – An autopsy for the 93-year-old woman who died in Nāʻālehu during severe weather conditions caused by Hurricane Lala has confirmed her cause of death.

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Hawaii Island police said the autopsy determined May Doi of Nāʻālehu died due to storm-related injuries.

The Hawaii State Department of Education confirmed Doi was last employed as a teacher at Nā‘ālehu Elementary. She retired in 1995 with 37 years of service.

A former student of Doi’s and former principal of Nā‘ālehu Elementary, Wilma Roddy, shared that, “Mrs. Doi was kind-hearted, yet firm, and she had very high expectations for adults and students alike. She was a beloved teacher and leader at Na’alehu Elementary, always willing to help and encourage her fellow colleagues.”

Another student shared that she loved her smile, her glamour style, and her Hawaiian bracelets.

Search and recovery efforts

According to Hawaii Island police, Doi was last seen on Friday, Aug. 14, at a Maia Street residence in the Nāʻālehu Town subdivision.

Emergency crews initiated a search for Doi after she was reported missing from her neighborhood, but access to the area was difficult, officials said during a joint press conference on Monday.

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Temporary Fire Chief Daniel Volpe said Monday that county fire crews and police officers conducted initial searches in the Nāʻālehu and Waiʻōhinu regions but were unsuccessful.

Later Monday afternoon, specialized search and extraction teams from the Hawaiʻi National Guard were deployed to assist.

“She was located, police responded right away. One of our ambulances did respond,” Volpe said. “Unfortunately, though, by the time she was located, she was found deceased.”

No foul play suspected

A preliminary investigation indicates her death appears to be related to the effects and extreme weather conditions associated with Hurricane Lala, police said. Foul play is not suspected.

“We don’t believe it is anything other than a result of the disaster at this time, but we will investigate it fully to make sure that that’s the case,” Chief Reed Mahuna said Monday.

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An autopsy is scheduled to determine the exact cause of death.