Honolulu firefighters rescued three lost hikers from a trail above Manoa Falls on Thursday night.

The Honolulu Fire Department received a 911 call at 7:14 p.m. Thursday about lost hikers on the Aihualama Trail which connects to the Manoa Falls Trail. Four units with 12 personnel responded, with the first arriving at 7:27 p.m.

The 911 caller’s geolocation was more than half a mile from the trailhead above Manoa Falls, and visibility was limited due to darkness. HFD’s Air 3 helicopter conducted an aerial search for the party of three — all teens aged 18 who had begun hiking at 6 p.m.

None of them had a flashlight or signaling devices to help rescuers locate them, which created challenges, along with inclement weather.

Fortunately, visual contact was made, and a rescue specialist was dropped down to the trail to meet with the teens at 8:52 p.m. One hiker was airlifted to the landing zone, where he was reunited with his parents at 9:07 p.m. Air 3, however, could not continue with airlift extraction operations due to weather that worsened.

Firefighters helped the other two hikers get to the Manoa Falls Trail and walked down on foot in darkness. All exited the trail safely at 10:15 p.m., where the parents of the other two teens were waiting.

There were no reports of injuries.

HFD reminds hikers to start exiting a hiking trail well before sunset. Hikers should know what time the sun sets and allow enough time to exit well before dusk arrives in order to exit safely. Also, in case of an emergency, including injury, it is easier for rescuers to locate and help hikers if they have a flashlight or signaling devices.