A dead body was found Sunday on a runway at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Crews were made aware of the body on the Reef Runway at around noon, Tim Sakahara, a spokesperson for the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) told KHON.
‘We certainly are saddened about this tragic event that happened here,’ Sakahara said.
The Reef Runway has been closed, but the rest of the airport has remained open while an investigation is underway.
A dead body was found Sunday on the Reef Runway at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii
‘At about 12 o’clock we were notified about possible items or object on the runway,’ Sakahara said.
Someone on a plane initially saw something on the runway, which prompted further review by airport officials.
‘Our crews went out and immediately checked it out and they discovered that it was, in fact, a body.’
That discovery came at about 12.15 pm, according to HDOT.
Crews were made aware of the body on the Reef Runway at around noon, Tim Sakahara, a spokesperson for the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) told KHON
‘They alerted authorities right away, who came and made sure that the scene was contained, and the investigation started right away,’ Sakahara said.
Sakahara could not answer whether rumors that the body belonged to a stow=away were true.
‘Details are gonna have to come through the investigation,’ he said.
Sakahara noted that investigators, at the time that he was speaking to KHON, were still on Reef Runway, making determinations as to what exactly happened that resulted in a dead body at the Hawaii airport.
Honolulu police are seen here at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport after a body was found on the Reef Runway
Honolulu, located on the island of O’ahu, is the main gateway to and from the islands of Hawaii
State and federal officials are seen here, investigating the dead body found on Reef Runway
Sakahara anticipated several hours of closure for the Reef Runway while investigators do their work.
‘In the mean time, all three other runways are open and operating,’ he said.
Sakahara noted there had been no delays as a result of the body being found, or the Reef Runway being closed temporarily.
The Hawaii Sheriff’s Department arrived on scene first, and contained the area.
The Sheriff’s Department then called in the Honolulu Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other federal authorities, according to Sakahara, who came on scene soon after.
The Sheriff’s Department was first to arrive on scene, followed by the Honolulu Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other federal authorities