Honolulu firefighters rescued a lost hiker Sunday afternoon after he became stranded on a steep hillside off the Moanalua Ridge Trail.
The Honolulu Fire Department received a 911 text message at 3:21 p.m. Sunday and dispatched five units with 13 personnel. The first crew arrived at 3:32 p.m. and established a nearby landing zone in preparation for an aerial search and rescue.
According to HFD, the adult male hiker was alone and about three miles from the trailhead when he found himself stuck on a steep, brush-covered slope with no clear path forward. Due to poor cell reception in the remote area, he was only able to communicate by text message.
Fire dispatchers used geolocation data and text communication to guide the department’s Air 1 helicopter to the hiker’s general location. The helicopter crew spotted him on the side of a ridge and lowered rescuers, who reached him at 4:17 p.m., conducted a medical assessment and prepared him for extraction. He was hoisted aboard and flown to the landing zone, where he declined further medical treatment at 4:37 p.m.
HFD reminds hikers to assess their fitness level and experience before choosing a trail, bring sufficient water, and plan ahead to avoid heat exhaustion, disorientation and injury.