Firefighters airlift visitor with twisted ankle from Maunawili Falls Trail
Honolulu firefighters this morning rescued a 48-year-old woman with an injured ankle from the Maunawili Falls Trail in Kailua.
The Honolulu Fire Department received a 911 call at 8:48 a.m. today, and responded with five units and 16 personnel, arriving on scene 11 minutes later.
According to HFD, the woman visiting from South Carolina was hiking with her two teen-aged children when she slipped and fell in a muddy area and twisted her right ankle.
Four firefighters hiked up the trail and found the injured woman at 9:12 a.m. then loaded her into a rescue stretcher for airlift by the Air 1 helicopter.
Air 1 transported the woman to the landing zone at Maunawili Neighborhood Park, where she was transferred to the care of Emergency Medical Services at 9:57 a.m.
Her children, who were not injured, hiked out of the trail on their own escorted by firefighters.
HFD reminds hikers to bring a fully charged cell phone on a hike, which can be a lifesaver during an emergency, and to pack adequate food and water. Also, people should research a hike in advance to avoid getting lost or injured, but not rely on social media for information about a trail.
Hikers should also know their physical abilities and limitations, and not go off-trail while hiking.