$5-million settlement reached in lawsuit over flash-flood tragedy at national park in Hawaii

The U.S. government agreed to pay $5 million late last month to settle a lawsuit filed by Holly Brown, a Louisville, Ky., doctor, and her son, Clayton, after the deaths of her 39-year-old husband, Kevin, and 8-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, during a flash flood at Haleakala National Park on the island of Maui in April 2003.

Brown said the family of four had checked at a nearby ranger station just before going hiking along Pipiwai Trail on the southeast side of Maui, according to a report on the website of the Courier-Journal. Even though there were dark clouds, the ranger did not issue a flash-flood warning, court documents said.

The family followed the path to an overlook above 184-foot Makahiku Falls and then decided to walk to the bottom. Kevin and Elizabeth were crossing the stream when they were suddenly overtaken by a 6-foot wall of water. Their bodies were never recovered.

Makahiku Falls is in the bamboo forests of the Ohe’o Gulch. Considered one of the most beautiful waterfalls on the island, it drains the Kipahulu Valley and is about half a mile from the trailhead.

According to park officials, there have been nine deaths at the falls since 1983.

— Susan Spano, Los Angeles Times staff writer

Photo: Clouds over Haleakala National Park on Maui. Credit: Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times

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This entry was posted on Saturday, October 3, 2009 at 5:31 pm by Susan Spano and is filed under Hawaii, Maui, National Parks, News, Tips & Advice, Outdoors & Adventure. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.