HONOLULU (KHON2/WFLA) — A Tampa Bay man who went missing in East Maui on July 31, was found dead, according to the county of Maui.
On Aug. 3, search efforts in the Bamboo Forest area of Hana Highway were initiated by Police and Fire Personnel. The Police Department’s search dog, Jack, and the Fire Department’s Air 1 Helicopter were both utilized in the search.
The search located the body of a Caucasian male at the base of a waterfall in the area.
The remains of the male were later positively identified through fingerprints as those of Craig Michael Pitt. The circumstances and cause of his death are still under investigation.
Police do not suspect foul play.
Family members told 8 On Your Side, Pitt was vacationing in Hawaii and went for a day hike and only brought enough food, water and supplies for a one day. Banana Bungalow Hostel in Maui called the police when Pitt did not return Friday evening.
Officials said Pitt’s family has been notified of his death and police are providing them with assistance and support during their time of need.
This case has been re-classified as an Unattended Death and remains an active investigation.
Pitt was last seen at the Banana Bungalows on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 at about 12:00 p.m.
It is believed he intended to hike on one of the trails along the Hana Highway.
“Craig told me he was going to the Hana side to explore ocean waterfalls,” said Billy Cimorelli, who works at Banana Bungalow Maui Hostel. “He had went to another waterfall that drops into the ocean out in Hana before and he wanted to go adventuring to see if he could find some other ones in that same general area.”
“He had ‘Google Earth’ pulled up on his tablet and he showed me some like, ‘oh look at all these, these drop into the ocean too maybe you can get to them,’” Cimorelli explained.
On Aug. 2, 2019, Pitt’s vehicle, a silver Toyota Corolla, was found parked on the shoulder of Hana Highway in the area of milepost 7.8 at about 5:30 p.m.
On August 3, 2019 search efforts were initiated by Police and Fire personnel in the area of Bamboo Forest.
Pitt’s mother arrived on Maui Sunday afternoon to look for her son, even offering a $10,000 reward Sunday morning before her flight.
Twenty miles away, searchers are still looking for 23-year-old Khiara Henry near Waianapanapa.
Surveillance footage obtained by police show Henry checking out of her Kihei hotel, Aston Maui Hill, on July 21. Henry rented a car in Kahului on the 21st for one day only.
Police were told on July 25 that her car was found at Waianapanapa State Park and a missing persons case was opened the following day.
Henry’s duffel bag was in the car but her phone and keys were not.
New information suggests she planned on staying on Maui until July 29, but she never arrived for her flight.
Experts highly advise not hiking in the Hana area by yourself.
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