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Volcanoes hikers found
dead inhaled steam,
examiner says

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Star-Bulletin staff

HILO -- Two hikers found dead in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Nov. 5 died of steam burns to their lungs, a Honolulu medical examiner has determined.

The findings by Dr. Kanthi Von Guenther, released by the park, cleared up much of the uncertainty which had surrounded the deaths of Nancy Everett, 41, of Volcano, and Ivan Klein, 42, of Washington, D.C.

At the time they were found, the park said it would not speculate on the cause of their deaths, although it later confirmed that they suffered scalding.

Von Guenther's report says they "died as a result of pulmonary edema caused by inhalation of steam sustained when exposed to a steam plume." In general terms, she described the cause of death as "environmental exposure."

The two hikers were found about 100 yards from where lava was entering the ocean. They had last been seen 2 days earlier.

Steam explosions are fairly common in the area, which could be reached only by a long hike from the end of Chain of Craters Road.

Park superintendent Jim Martin said, "It's still a lot of guesswork. How did they get scalded? There has (been), and there might always be speculation as to the circumstances that preceded their deaths, and the truth is we will never ever really know."

The park pointed out that two other people died during the 1990s as a result of getting too near where lava enters the ocean. In April 1993, Prem Nagar disappeared when half an acre of new coastal rock he was standing on collapsed into the sea.

In April 1998, Shin-Dru Thurston disappeared when he slid off a coastal cinder cone at the ocean's edge. Neither of their bodies was recovered.