TGI Staff WriterPRINCEVILLE — Hanalei firefighters rescued yesterday a 43-year-old man from Arizona and his 12-year-old daughter, who had gone exploring and become trapped along a cliffline near the Ali’i Kai Condominiums. Firefighters rappelled down the cliff, lowered Richard Leon,
TGI Staff WriterPRINCEVILLE — Hanalei firefighters rescued yesterday a
43-year-old man from Arizona and his 12-year-old daughter, who had gone
exploring and become trapped along a cliffline near the Ali’i Kai
Condominiums.
Firefighters rappelled down the cliff, lowered Richard Leon,
of Tempe, Ariz. and his daughter, Rikki, to a more level area and led them to
safety, according to Hanalei Fire Capt. Bob Kaden.
Before 6:30 p.m. Leon
told his wife, Vicki, that he and his daughter wanted to explore the coastline
at the resort community.
The man’s wife became worried when they didn’t
return, conducted an unsuccessful search of the coastline by the condominium
and called for help from people who were in the area, according to Kaden.
Bystanders, in turn, called the Hanalei Fire Station for help.
Four
firefighters, under the command of Capt. Jay Harms, conducted a search of the
coastline and found Leon and his daughter on a ledge below the condominium
project.
Both became trapped after one of them had slid off the trial and
the other climbed down the cliff area to help, Kaden said.
Using ropes, the
firefighter rappelled 100 feet to the ledge and helped bring Leon and his
daughter down another 50 feet to a more level area, Kaden said.
From there,
Leon an his daughter, assisted by firefighters, walked on a trail used by local
fishermen back to a beach at Kaweonui Point and took another trail back to the
condominium project, Kaden said.
Leon and his family had apparently just
arrived on Kaua’i and wanted to explore the Princeville resort coastline area
before dark.
Both sustained only minor scratches and bruises.