KAILUA-KONA — The weekend weather claimed the life of a 74-year-old man after the structure he was living in was apparently blown off its foundation, authorities confirmed Tuesday.
KAILUA-KONA — The weekend weather claimed the life of a 74-year-old man after the structure he was living in was apparently blown off its foundation, authorities confirmed Tuesday.
The victim’s body was discovered early Monday morning on a coffee farm at the 15-5300 block of Mamalahoa Highway in Holualoa. According to Hawaii Police Maj. Robert Wagner, the man who owns the farm discovered the victim, later identified as William Ryder.
Ryder had been a seasonal coffee farm worker at that property for more than 20 years.
The farm owner called police after discovering Ryder’s body. When officers arrived on scene, they initiated a coroner’s inquest.
According to police, Ryder was inside the shack-like, wall-less structure when it had been blown about 150 feet from its foundation, causing his death.
There is no suspected foul play. An autopsy was conducted and final results are pending toxicology results.
Anyone with information on the incident should contact Lt. William Gary Souther at 326-4646, ext. 253.
Hawaii Island was pounded by a thunderstorm Sunday evening. According to the National Weather Service, the storm was triggered by low-level moisture combined with a strong upper-level disturbance that produced widespread slow-moving heavy rain and thunderstorms.
A home was struck by lightning several times, trees were uprooted and high winds mangled shade houses at a Kealakekua farm. These were just a few of the reported damages.
What kind of condition was this home in that 40-50 MPH winds blew it off its foundation? Sounds like it was not up to code? Does the property owner not have any responsibility in this?
Sorry… what part of “shack-like, wall-less structure” did you miss?
I got it, that was my sense of humor. Sorry. Should the police not investigated this? A referral to permitting for letting a guy live in a shack and then getting killed? They are worried about vacation rentals and not this?
Seriously, they have to run a toxicology report on the victim?! To determine if he was drunk or high while flying his coffee shack!
Worker dies in deplorable living conditions after dedication of 20 years….golly that’s sad.