HONOLULU A Hawaii medical examiner says hundreds of homeless people died in the previous five years.
HONOLULU — A Hawaii medical examiner says hundreds of homeless people died in the previous five years.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Wednesday that analysis by Honolulu Chief Medical Examiner Christopher Happy found 373 people were considered homeless at the time of their deaths on Oahu from 2014 to 2018.
Happy says causes of death varied, although disease and narcotics use were common causes.
The analysis found the average age of the deceased homeless people was about 53 years old, nearly 30 years below the average lifespan in Hawaii.
Happy says investigations into the deaths of homeless people are made more difficult due to a lack of social and familial ties.
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell says the statistics are “a sobering wake-up call.”
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Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, http://www.staradvertiser.com
