Hilo, Hawai‘i – A coroner’s inquest has been launched by Hawai‘i Island police following the discovery of a man’s body near a tree at the Kaumana Drive junction in Hilo on the morning of Saturday, January 11, 2025.

At approximately 10:11 a.m., a passerby reported to police dispatch that a man was found hanging from a tree near Chong Street. South Hilo patrol officers and Hawai‘i Fire Department personnel responded promptly to the scene, but the man was already beyond resuscitation.

The deceased, believed to be in his 50s, was transported to the Hilo Benioff Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 12:16 p.m.

The Area I Criminal Investigation Section is treating the case as a coroner’s inquest while they work on positively identifying the deceased and notifying his next of kin.

Authorities are urging anyone with information related to this incident to contact Detective Kimo Keliipaakaua at (808) 961-2375 or the police department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311.