Nine months after 2-year-old Wyatt Van Ness Barnes died during a camping trip at Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area, his parents are breaking their silence and pushing hard for answers. Haley and Kyle Barnes say their son died while in someone else’s care inside a rental cabin and that the two adults who were with him in his final minutes still have not spoken to them. The family has now launched a community campaign to gather tips, support and, they hope, clarity about what happened.
Family describes how Wyatt was found
According to Hawaii News Now, Haley Barnes says she walked into the cabin and found Wyatt unresponsive, lying on his stomach on top of a cooler with his head inside a smaller cooler. The family told the station that another child who had been in the room came out of the cabin, and that when Haley entered, the father of that child was alone in the closed room with Wyatt. Kyle Barnes said two people were with Wyatt in the last five minutes of his life and that those two people have not spoken to the family.
Police: Case logged as a "miscellaneous fatal accident"
The Maui Police Department has categorized the case as a "miscellaneous fatal accident" and has declined to release further details, citing an active investigation, Hawaii News Now reported. "We appreciate the community's understanding as investigators continue to thoroughly review the circumstances surrounding this incident," MPD Public Information Officer Alana Pico said in a statement.
Family site and public updates
The family launched Justice4Wyatt to share updates, tributes and ways the public can help, including a fundraiser to support the family. On the site’s updates page, the Barneses say they still do not have a certified autopsy report or death certificate and that they have requested a forensic interview of the other child. The family says those requests have not been granted.
Investigative resources and how to tip
In 2023, Maui police created a Cold Case Detail to reexamine unsolved homicides and missing-person reports and the unit has asked the public to come forward with any information, Maui Now reported. The outlet says tips may be emailed to [email protected] or called in to 808-270-5575, and general non-emergency tips can be made to Maui Police at 808-244-6400.
Where it happened
Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area sits high on the slopes of Haleakala and includes one cabin along with primitive campsites. The Division of State Parks notes that the Polipoli cabins and camping areas were listed as closed until further notice. That remote, high-elevation cabin is the setting for a loss that Wyatt’s family says still has no answers.
The Barneses say they will continue pressing investigators and urging the community to share any information that might explain how Wyatt died. They are asking anyone with details, especially those who spoke with people who were present the night of Aug. 2, 2025, to come forward and have directed supporters to the Justice4Wyatt updates page for ways to help.
