HFD rescues two lost hikers near Aiea Loop Trail after sunset
Honolulu firefighters rescued two lost hikers in Aiea after sunset on Wednesday night.
The Honolulu Fire Department received a 911 call for the lost hikers at 7:16 p.m. Wednesday near Aiea Loop Trail. Four units with 12 personnel responded, with the first arriving at 7:30 p.m.
A 21-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman were reported to have been hiking for three hours when they got lost and called 911 for help.
HFD’s Air 3 helicopter attempted an aerial search based on the lost hiker’s cellphone GPS coordinates, which placed them on the mid-face of the next ridge over, northwest of Aiea Loop Trail. The hikers, however, were under a tree canopy that made it difficult to see them and were unable to move from under it due to the terrain and tree cover.
Nevertheless, Air 3 was able to locate the hikers and dropped rescue specialists onto the trail. The specialists then rappelled down the ridge face and made contact with the hikers at 8:30 p.m. Neither one was injured.
Rescue specialists helped the hikers get to a spot on the trail where Air 3 could airlift them to safety. Each was airlifted to the landing zone at Sugar Mill Park in Halawa, with the last one dropped off at 9:35 p.m.
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No injuries resulted from the rescue operation.
HFD reminds hikers to know their physical abilities and limitations, and select trails that can be enjoyed safely. Always let others know where you plan to hike, and what time you expect to return. If you call 911 to be rescued in the mountains, stay in the same area so rescue specialists can locate you based on your last known geo-location coordinates.