A New Year’s Eve party of more than 200 people ended tragically when one woman, 19-year-old college student Tiare Couto, slipped and fell from a muddy trail and died of her injuries. The party took place in the Pūpūkea-Paumalū State Park Reserve on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, where Couto grew up.
The annual gathering at a clearing called Pipeline Bunker is technically illegal, according to local news source Honolulu Civil Beat, though it’s been happening for several years. From the trailhead near an elementary school, this year’s party goers faced a 20-minute hike to and from the clearing amid “dark, rainy conditions.”
When Couto’s friends returned to the trailhead after celebrating the stroke of midnight in the clearing, they told police they couldn’t find their friend. Several hours later, they found Couto, who had fallen from the muddy trail while making the return hike. They extracted her and transported her to the hospital, where she later died.
Couto was a student at The University of Utah studying Environmental & Sustainability Studies and Political Science. She was passionate about the outdoors and was an avid skier and surfer.
There is a GoFundMe to support Tiare Couto’s family during this difficult time. Contribute here.