Hawaii firefighter dies after being swept into storm drain

A 24-year-old Hawaii firefighter has died after he was swept into a storm drain amid severe flooding on the island of Maui, officials said.

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

He was found where the storm drain emptied into the ocean, about 800 yards away, and was brought to Maui Memorial Medical Center in critical condition.

Maui County officials said he was “making positive and promising signs of progress” until Saturday, when they shared 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 entire community for the outpouring of love during this time,” she said.

“My heart tells me that Tre’ wants to say thank you for loving his family, his fire ‘ohana [a Hawaiian term for family], his friends during this time. He’d want people to keep giving blood, to keep doing your part as a hero, in the way he lived every day on Earth.”

Evans-Dumaran had been with the department for over three years and his love for serving the community 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 has been “devastated” by the sudden loss.

“Every day our emergency responders put their lives at risk to help others, looking out for the community they serve. This is a reminder of that risk and the courageous work they do for all of us,” Bissen said.

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