HONOLULU, Hawaii — A 19-year-old University of Utah student died on New Year's Eve after falling from a trail in Hawaii while she was home for the holidays.
The university shared news about the death of Tiare Cuoto in a post on the school's website.
According to the Honolulu Police Department, just after midnight on Jan. 1, an officer was told by several people that one of their friends was missing after the group hiked out from a New Year's Eve party at Pūpūkea-Paumalū State Park Reserve on the north shore of O'ahu.
Couto was supposed to drive the group home and she was not one of the approximately 200 people who had left the party via the trail over a 3-hour period.
When the officer walked to the trailhead, he was approached by a man who said a missing woman "had fallen and could not get up," according to the police report. A search later found Couto who was transported to the hospital where she later died.
According to the Honolulu Civil Beat, the area often hosts illegal parties, usually attended by teens and young adults, and has long been a safety concern. The hike from the trailhead to a bunker where parties are held is about 20 minutes, and there were rainy conditions on the night of Couto's death.
The mother of another woman who attended the New Year's Eve party said her daughter told her that the trail was "pitch black" and muddy, and was only lit by those holding glow sticks.
Last month, Couto spoke to the university's website about her time at the school, sharing why she was majoring in environmental and sustainability studies, and political science.
"I love caring about the planet and I want to earn the skills I need to find common ground with people who have different viewpoints than me," she said. "I am interested in working on environmental change at a policy level."
