HONOLULU (KHON2) — A dramatic rescue unfolded early Friday morning as the Honolulu Fire Department responded to a distress call from a hiker stranded near the Ehukai Pillbox Trail.
The incident began when a 21-year-old male hiker veered off the trail and found himself clinging to a tree on a steep cliffside.
The emergency call came in at 7:23 a.m., prompting HFD to dispatch four units with approximately 13 personnel.
The first responders arrived on scene at 7:33 a.m., swiftly mobilizing a rescue operation. Two personnel hiked up the trail on foot, while others prepared a nearby landing zone for air operations.
By 8:10 a.m., Air 1 located the stranded hiker and deployed a rescue specialist on a rope.
The hiker was safely airlifted to the prepared landing zone. The hiker declined medical assessment by EMS upon arrival.
“All HFD personnel involved in the operation were accounted for with no injuries reported,” stated a spokesperson for the Honolulu Fire Department.
Authorities remind hikers to stay on designated trails and exercise caution when exploring unfamiliar terrain.