Man dies after falling in lava tube running under property

A man living in Hawaii has died after he fell into a lava tube that ran through his property.

The man, who was not identified, had not been heard from for days and police were alerted, CNN reported.

When police searched his home in Kaumana, Hawaii, they found that he had fallen 22 feet below the surface into a lava tube, according to CNN.

>> Read more trending news

Lava tubes are channels formed by nature where lava flows beneath the surface.

While the tubes snake under the Hawaiian islands, it is rare that someone falls into them, The Washington Post reported.

Police believe the man, who was in his 70s, was trimming branches when he sank through the soft ground over the tubes. Officials said there could have been a hole that the man couldn't see due to overgrowth, the Post reported.

Rescue teams recovered his body by rappelling into the lava tube, CNN reported.

The man died from injuries consistent with falling, police said.

Cox Media Group