A Maui County firefighter has died more than a week after he was swept into a drain during a storm that brought flooding to the Hawaiian island, officials said.
Tre' Evans-Dumaran, 24, was assisting residents on the island on Jan. 27 when he was swept away. He was eventually found where the drain ended 800 yards away near the shoreline at Kulanihakoi Street, officials said in a statement.
A flood warning was in place for Maui at the time because of "hazardous weather" that included heavy rain and prompted road closures, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green's office said in a news release.
Evans-Dumaran had been in critical condition at Maui Memorial Medical Center and was "slowly making positive and promising signs of progress" until Saturday, when county officials confirmed his death.
"We want to thank the entire community for the outpouring of love during this time," his mother, Chelsie Evans, said in a statement shared by the county. "My heart tells me that Tre’ wants to say thank you for loving his family, his fire ‘ohana, 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."
Maui County Fire Chief Brad Ventura said in a statement that Evans-Dumaran, who had been with the department for three years, "was so happy to serve people."
"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 Jr. said his "heart was broken by the news."
"Every day our emergency responders put their lives at risk to help others, looking out for the community they serve," he said. "This is a reminder of that risk and the courageous work they do for all of us."
