Dad dies in plunge from Hawaii waterfall just days after wedding anniversary
A California hiker died after he fell 120 feet below Hawaii’s Waipo’o waterfall just days after celebrating his anniversary, police said.
Mark DeBarr, 66, was touring the Waipo’o Falls Trail in Kokee State Park last Friday during a family vacation when police believe he slipped and fell 120 feet below the scenic Waipo’o Falls, according to Kaua’i officials.
First responders were called to the scene at around 10 a.m. and recovered DeBarr’s body from the falls.
Kaua‘i Police said there was no evidence of foul play, with an autopsy report pending.
Volunteers with Life Bridges and Visitor Aloha Society of Kauai (VASK) are assisting DeBarr’s family.
DeBarr, a father-of-two, had just celebrated his anniversary on Sept. 18 with wife Maureen DeBarr. he was an accounting professional and Chico State alumnus who hailed from Concord.
Pal Dough Brooker mourned the loss of his fellow Chico alumni, describing him as a great man and his best friend of 48 years.
“Mark passed after a tragic accident in Hawaii while on vacation with his family. This will leave a huge hole in the lives of all who knew Mark – he was an amazing guy and loved by so many,” Brooker wrote in a Facebook post.
DeBarr’s death isn’t the only accident that has claimed a tourist’s life at one of Hawaii’s waterfalls.
Greg Miller, 34, of Indiana, died in 2018 when he was struck by a falling rock near Maui’s Waimoku Falls while hiking in Haleakala National Park.
