Hopes dim in
Maui flood search

Rescuers will keep looking
for two visitors who likely
died in flash floods

---

By Gary T. Kubota
gkubota@starbulletin.com

KIPAHULU, Maui >> Maui County fire rescue divers were expected today to search the deep pools along a stream in Kipahulu to find a Louisville, Ky., man and his 8-year-old daughter who were swept away by flood waters and are presumed dead.

The search along the stream in Haleakala National Park and nearby ocean was unsuccessful yesterday.

Missing since Thursday evening are Kevin Brown, 39, a high school teacher, and his daughter, Elizabeth. Park officials said in a press release that the two are assumed to be dead.

Brown's parents, his wife Holly and his 11-year-old son Clayton were at the Hotel Hana-Maui, meeting with police chaplains.

Park spokesman Sharon Ringsven said the flood waters were too high and muddy for divers to search in deep pools but searchers were expecting conditions to improve today.

GARY T. KUBOTA / GKUBOTA@STARBULLETIN.COM Park official Ron Martin said flood waters covered rocks in a stream Thursday when two people were swept away.

"They were hoping overnight that the stream level will diminish and allow divers to search deeper pools at first light," she said.

Ringsven said the pools yesterday were still higher than normal.

"It was very muddy, debris laden and flowing swiftly," she said.

Ringsven said some 20 people, including park rangers, police and fire rescue workers were involved in the search yesterday. She said they searched along the stream from the Hana Highway bridge to Makahiku Falls.

Park operations supervisor Ron Martin said that during a hike about a half-mile mauka of Hana Highway, Kevin Brown was helping his daughter Elizabeth cross the stream when she slipped into a pool. Martin said Holly and Clayton were waiting on the north side of the stream.

Martin said suddenly a wall of water and debris came rushing down and swept them over the falls down a roughly 190-foot precipice into a pool.

Park officials estimated the accident happened after 4:30 p.m., about 30 minutes after Hawaii Civil Defense issued a flash flood warning for the area.

Holly and Clayton ran for help and found a taro farmer, John Lind, who led them back to the park visitor center, where an emergency call was made.

Lind said after taking the Browns to the center, he went down to the ocean in hopes of finding the two but he was unable to see anybody.

He said the flood waters were powerful, judging by the way they slammed into the ocean.

"The water was extra high. You see gravel flying up, logs flying up," Lind said. "You cannot even see the falls."

Lind said the area where the Browns were crossing was "nice and sunny" but the clouds were dark over the mountains.

"They only were watching the stream but not the mountains," he said.

He said he and other residents have been telling the national park for years to install an early flood warning system.

"They talk about it, but they no do nothing," Lind said.

Park Superintendent Donald Reeser said the discussion about installing a warning device has primarily focused on warning people who are at the lower pool.

"These people were way up the trail," Reeser said.

Reeser said that when the flood alert came, rangers did have people leave the lower pool area.