K9 Trina had an important job to do when a 70-year-old man went missing in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The trained Labrador Retriever joined a search that had already involved police officers, park personnel, and a helicopter. By the time darkness settled over the park, finding the missing man had become even more urgent.

The man, visiting from Oahu, had gone missing less than 24 hours before authorities received a missing-person report on Monday, October 19, 2026. Authorities located his rental vehicle inside the national park, but found no sign of him nearby. With Officer Christopher Ross at her side, Trina followed a scent trail into the park and eventually located the man approximately two miles from his vehicle.

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A Familiar Scent Sends Trina Into Action

The search began after Puna patrol officers received a report of the missing man at 12:16 p.m. Investigators learned that he had last been in the Volcano area, and concerns about his age and circumstances led authorities to classify him as endangered.

According to a television report, the man had been staying at a bed-and-breakfast while visiting from Oahu. When he failed to return, the property’s operator alerted police. His family explained that hiking alone was not unusual for him, although they were unsure exactly what had happened during this outing.

Police and national park personnel searched the surrounding area, with a Hawaii Fire Department helicopter providing aerial assistance. Meanwhile, Officer Ross and Trina joined the effort on the ground, bringing a different way of locating someone who might be difficult to spot.

The television report described a pillowcase carrying a familiar scent being used to help Trina begin tracking. Once she had the scent, the Labrador Retriever headed down the trail with her handler.

Trina Finds the Missing Hiker After Dark

At approximately 7:30 p.m., Trina’s tracking led rescuers to the missing man on a trail about two miles from his parked rental vehicle. He was alive, but he needed assistance after spending an extended period outdoors.

The television report described the man lying on his back, slightly off the trail among the bushes. His family believed he might have become confused in the darkness and fallen, although the exact circumstances were not confirmed.

Officer Ross approached to check on the man, while Trina remained part of the team that had successfully located him. The discovery meant rescuers could finally focus on getting him out of the park and into medical care.

The man was carefully carried back to the trailhead and transported to Hilo Benioff Medical Center. He received treatment for dehydration and exposure, with the television report also mentioning other injuries.

His family expressed gratitude for the people involved in the search, especially the K9 team whose tracking work helped bring rescuers directly to him.

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This Wasn’t Trina’s First Successful Search

Trina may be only three years old, but she already has an impressive record of helping people. The Labrador Retriever came from Sweden and is specially trained to locate living people through scent tracking.

She has served with the Hawaii County Police Department for about a year, working alongside Officer Ross. Her responsibilities include helping search for missing children and endangered adults throughout the island.

Remarkably, this was Trina’s second successful missing-person search in just two months. In September, she helped locate an endangered teenager in Waikoloa, adding another important success to her growing career.

Officer Ross praised his canine partner’s extraordinary sense of smell in the television interview. He also described the experience of knowing his partner had helped save someone’s life as a blessing.

The missing man’s family was especially thankful for Trina’s work. In a touching comment shared during the report, his son even expressed interest in adopting her someday if she retires and becomes available for adoption.

For Trina, the evening ended with another person found and brought to safety. What began with a familiar scent and a determined Labrador Retriever led rescuers to a missing man who urgently needed their help.

This content was created with AI assistance and edited by the iHeartDogs team.