Aunt: Older boy died protecting younger brother during fire

KAILUA-KONA >> The aunt of two boys who died in a Big Island house fire says firefighters found the older child on top of his brother, protecting him.

Six-year-old Kaeden Matsuyama and 11-year-old Dexen Matsuyama didn’t make it out of a burning home near Holualoa Elementary School, where they were both students.

Aunt Rebecca Kauwe tells West Hawaii Today Kaeden got scared and tried to run into a closet and Dexen went back to try to get him.

The boys’ parents and two sisters were able to escape the early Thursday fire.

Grandmother Irene Agustin says the family is grateful for support from the community.

The blaze destroyed all the family’s belongings. As of Friday, a GoFundMe effort had raised more than $24,000 for the family.