Flash flood strands tourists overnight on Kauai
COURTESY KAUAI COUNTY / MARCH 27, 2013
This 2013 photo shows Hanakapiai Stream during a flash flood.
A flash flood stranded at least a dozen hikers on Kauai’s Kalalau Trail and almost washed away two tourists Tuesday, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said in a news release.
The hikers initially tried to cross the swollen Hanakapiai Stream Tuesday afternoon using a thin, makeshift line.
Two hikers told officials they witnessed a woman lose her grip on the line. She was sucked into the chest-deep waters, but her male companion grabbed her and she was able to climb onto his back.
“The line was very thin and had that snapped, they would have been sucked out to sea and bashed on the rocks.” Alexander Lau, a hiker from Oahu said in a video news release provided by the DNLR.
Lau said once the other hikers saw what happened, they agreed it would be safer to spend an extra night in the Napali Coast State Wilderness Park, rather than attempt a stream crossing.
Strong winds and rains kept the Kauai Fire Department helicopter grounded, so firefighters were not able to reach the hikers.
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The state closed Kalalau Trail at about 5 p.m. Tuesday and reopened it at about noon Wednesday after the rushing stream water subsided.
The hikers were able to cross the stream this morning.
“This latest stream flooding and the incident the backpackers described is why fire and parks officials continually warn hikers not to cross Hanakapiai or any other stream along the Napali Coast until waters have receded,” the DNLR said in the news release.
Several people have died over the years attempting to cross Hanakapiai Stream when it is flooded.
27 responses to “Flash flood strands tourists overnight on Kauai”
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I’ve been to that area when the river was rushing. Crossing with that line is just stupid. Our group was wanting to be on the other side, but logic got the best of us and we didn’t chance it. Stupid!
Dumb! Don’t cross swollen streams.
Dumb tourist. They really thing you don’t die in paradise.
Wrong time of year to hike the Kalalau Trail!
People don’t seem to understand that when a stream rises, it will also lower again.
So what if they miss a flight? Maybe it will cost them a few extra hundred bucks. When you’re going into the wilds of nature, you do it on nature’s terms, and wait when you need to. This is the way to stay alive, and well.
Oh well, you know we used to ride the flumes in Green Valley back in the day when get.
oh, they’ll get a lawyer and sue for millions and the state will cave.
Shhhhhhhhhhh !!!!
Sometimes people don’t have any common sense. Been super windy and with some rain. I for one would not go hiking with the wind howling like that.
As a former Scoutmaster we took our Troop out on hikes and backpack camps. I really get frustrated on the number of tourists who seem to disregard warnings, going off on unmarked trails and don’t properly pack for a hike. I’ve been on trails and come across tourist who are seem prepared for a “walk” and not a hike…no water, no apparent first aid kit (basic needs), late in the day start, etc. Perhaps we need to have some inflight educational that can be played prior to landing…maybe an Eagle Scout Project? Regardless, perhaps a Bill to be passed that will fine those (both local and tourist) that ignore warnings and place our EMS Teams in jeopardy. In addition the $ cost that I believe has been seem to be going issue to balance EMS services budget…just saying…
I totally agree with the fines and charges for cost of rescue! It should have been done long ago! That should be the action state wide on ALL “hiking” trails and a notice should be made mandatory on all web-sites that promote these “trails”.
Sick and tired of stupid tourists who repeatedly need to be rescued and assisted by rescue personnel when common sense would make it obvious that the hike or other activity is dangerous or inadvisable. They should be cited and fined.
Perhaps, activity companies should be held responsible for allowing rented activities in dangerous circumstances. Require these companies to carry insurance to pay for costs of rescues of their clients due to company’s poor judgment. People who need to be assisted when just waiting until the dangerous situation subsides should be made to pay for their stupidity.
Signs are posted to avoid legal problems. You can’t have someone posted all day to warn tourists. Please tourists respect the warning signs and don’t be a hero crossing a raging river.
Nominees for a Darwin award.
Darwinian winnowing is an evolutionary mainstay! It refines the gene pool …
Well the fortunate thing is that they didn’t die. No Darwin award nomination. Though, there was a good potential for one.
Headline should be that the tourist are surprised that this occurrence was not explained in the vacation marketing department’s promotion.
With all the crazy laws in Hawaii, the visitor’s industry industry will have to include a disclaimer of the small print such the no smoking on the beach, no talking while walking, no driving slow in the left lane, no plastic shopping bags, and so on. ..
Smart Haoles.
Maybe more warning signs would help .
We don’t need more signs, we need more smart tourists!
To address proper notification, when I was traveling on business and had an assignment in Malaysia, prior to landing we filled out a mandatory declaration that “boldly stated” you were “not in possession of any illegal drugs”…if you were…you would be charged with trafficking and subject penalty of death. I was told by my associate who resided in Singapore and traveling with me, “this is not idle warning!”. This was confirmed by the rather strict behavior of the military police at customs. So we take a page out of Malaysian customs declaration and add this to the bottom of those declarations that are hand out to incoming travelers. Make it mandatory to fill out and sign. If you get in trouble (i.e. did not heed warning notice) we may charge you for EMS services…”Master Card, Visa will be accepted”. Ignorance will not be acceptable…but will probably be claimed…just saying…
Even travel guides explicitly state that the death penalty is common punishment if caught with distributable quantities of drugs in quite a few Asian countries. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on on which side you’re on, the US wants idiocy, drugs and crime as it keeps the massive police state well funded.
Look at the signs, they are MISSING one important sign that says “If you cross a swollen stream, you have a good chance of DYING” and then put the image of a grave marker on the sign. Saw a picture of and American WW2 sign with 2 skulls propped on it and says “These men did not take their Atabrine” (anti-malarial pill)
http://rarehistoricalphotos.com/advertisement-atabrine-anti-malaria-drug-1941/
Link does not work, must be using the wrong HTML coding
Can’t stand the approach to these stories. The result of repeated and astounding ignorance is portrayed as some sort of tragic episode that demands our sympathy. Waiting for the story or opinion piece that portrays the government as saying and taking action because, or asserts, that enough is enough! If there’s no will to prevent people from doing ignorant things, then please, at least make laws that grant the State and landowners immunity when people CHOOSE to put their own lives at risk by doing these things. And, charge ’em for the costs they force us to pay in order to deal with their choices. These people are STILL going to come to do this stuff. In fact, the greater “risks” (e.g. fines, imposition of cost liability, lack of recourse if they are injured or die) may just INCREASE the attractiveness to the thrill seekers.
And, think about it. IF, suddenly, visitor number dropped because people didn’t like the prospect of paying for emergency services, or being penalized for improperly accessing closed areas, or being denied the ability to sue for being caught in dangerous situations they HIKED TO (!!), then do we really want those visitors (to come) who elected to stay away because there was no possibility of free rescue, or consequence free violation of restrictions, or lawsuit money at the end of the Hawaiian rainbow???