Hawaii Island woman, 93, found dead after Hurricane Lala identified

HILO (HawaiiNewsNow) – A 93-year-old woman who was found dead Monday in Nāʻālehu following severe weather conditions caused by Hurricane Lala has been identified.

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According to Hawaii Island police, May 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.

Search and recovery efforts

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 unable to locate her.

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

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“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.”

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.