K9 Trina Finds Missing Man in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park

Hawaiʻi police credit K9 Trina and a multiagency search with finding a missing man alive in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on Oct. 19.

By Joy

Published Oct 29, 2026 Updated Oct 29, 2026 Verified sourcing

Contextual file photo: hikers on Kīlauea Iki Trail in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, September 20, 2019. This does not show the October 2026 search or establish which trail the man was found on. Photo: NPS/Janice Wei, public domain. No claim to original U.S. Government works.

HAWAIʻI ISLAND — A police tracking dog found a missing man alive in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on Oct. 19, 2026, according to the Hawaiʻi Police Department.

Police said K9 Trina and handler Officer Christopher Ross joined a search involving county police, National Park personnel and a fire department helicopter.

Trina located the man at 7:30 p.m., about two miles from his parked rental vehicle. Responders carried him to a trailhead before hospital transport for dehydration and exposure.

The department reported the rescue on October 20, 2026. Its release does not identify the trail.

A dog trained to find people

Trina’s role is to track missing children and endangered adults across Hawaiʻi Island. The department introduced the three-year-old Labrador in February, pairing her with Ross in its Area II Juvenile Aid Section.

The Hawaiʻi Island K9 Association funded her acquisition, travel and training through a $25,000 donation, the department said at the time. Trina and Ross also completed 40 hours of training with a retired Honolulu police canine trainer.

The department also credited Trina with finding a missing teenager in Waikoloa on Sept. 4. Police said the teenager was found in good health and reunited with family.