WAILUA — Two hikers died yesterday after falling from near the top of the Opaeka‘a Falls trailhead, county officials said. The hikers, women visiting from California, were discovered near the pool at the base of the falls by other hikers shortly
WAILUA — Two hikers died yesterday after falling from near the top of the Opaeka‘a Falls trailhead, county officials said.
The hikers, women visiting from California, were discovered near the pool at the base of the falls by other hikers shortly before 1 p.m., one of whom ran to the trailhead to call 911, county spokeswoman Mary Daubert said.
The women were pronounced dead at the scene.
Area residents said the bodies were discovered by a local family who had hiked down to the pool below the falls to take a Christmas card photo.
First-responders from the Kapa‘a and Lihu‘e fire stations, police officers and personnel from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources remained on the scene until late afternoon, once a helicopter was called in to remove the bodies.
Officials on the scene said the women took a false trail just off Kuamo‘o Road, which gives way to a steep drop off after a short distance.
Daubert said the hikers fell between 250 and 300 feet, coming to rest on the rocks at the base of the falls about 35 feet from the water.
The proper trail turns left off the road, going upriver on a gentle downhill slope before crossing the stream well above the falls.
The women turned right off the trailhead instead of left, detectives on the scene said.
KPD detectives arrived after 2 p.m. to make sure there was no foul play. Once it became clear that officials were not dealing with a crime scene, the recovery operation, which had been based around the trailhead by mile marker 2 on Kuamo‘o Road, moved makai to the Opaeka‘a Falls lookout, evacuating visitors and vendors and closing it off to the public.
A helicopter from Inter-Island Helicopters arrived at 4 p.m. to airlift the bodies out.
The helicopter flew in once to test the winds, hovering well below the 150-foot waterfall, returned to land at the lookout, then flew out again, dangling a 100-foot cable that personnel at the bottom of the falls attached to basket stretchers containing the hikers.
The first body was removed by 4:10 p.m., and the second by 4:15 p.m. Daubert said the lookout was open again by 5 p.m.
Traffic slowed to a crawl before and during the removal as some drivers slowed to watch and others pulled off the road to snap pictures on digital cameras and cell phones.
Several tour buses attempting to enter the lookout area were turned away.
“It’s dangerous down there,” KPD officer Kekoa Ledesma said at the scene. “A lot of people come from the cities and aren’t used to this outdoor lifestyle. Even experienced hikers, they don’t understand the dangers” of hiking in Hawai‘i.
Ledesma said rocks and ledges that appear safe can give way underfoot.
“It happens all the time,” said Anita Perry, who has lived across the street from the trailhead for 30 years. “(Officials) warn people, but they don’t listen.”
Residents said a boy fell from the same spot a few months ago but lived after coming to rest in a tree just above the rocks at the base.
