LIHU‘E — Two months of rockfall mitigation work last year in Kalalau Beach — costing the state $800,000 — wasn’t enough to stop a rock from falling down the cliff and injure a camper. The state Department of Land and
LIHU‘E — Two months of rockfall mitigation work last year in Kalalau Beach — costing the state $800,000 — wasn’t enough to stop a rock from falling down the cliff and injure a camper.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources plans to investigate a Sunday incident, in which a falling rock wounded a 32-year-old Oahu man’s head near a waterfall in the Kalalau Valley.
DLNR spokeswoman Deborah Ward said the incident likely occurred on state property, prompting an investigation by the DLNR staff.
Ward said she couldn’t speculate whether the incident had any connection to the 2010 rockfall mitigation work in the valley.
Because the name and exact location of the waterfall was unavailable at press time, she said she couldn’t tell if the falling rock occurred within the vicinity of rockfall mitigation work.
Na Pali Coast State Park was closed between Sept. 7 and Nov. 1, 2010 for the project.
The project was scheduled to end Nov. 7, but contractors pulled out a week earlier, leaving the work incomplete.
A large block supposed to be detached from the face of the cliff above the waterfall was left in place, to be dealt with later.
“Rocks do fall from time to time,” Ward said. “We’ve already done a considerable amount of work above the Kalalau beach.”
The project was originally expected to resume sometime between the end of April and mid-May, she said.
“That was our announced intention last fall,” Ward said, adding it may be modified.
When DLNR reopens the project, the valley will be closed to hikers, Ward said, and DLNR will not issue camping permits.
Head injury
The Kaua‘i Fire Department helicopter airlifted the Hau‘ula man from the valley at about 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, according to a county press release.
He’d been hiking near the waterfall when a rock reportedly fell from the waterfall and hit his head.
A tour helicopter in the area responded to an SOS written on the sand and notified authorities.
Rescue 3 and KFD’s Air-1 helicopter responded to the call.
The hiker was well enough to walk with rescuers to the landing zone, where he was airlifted to Princeville Airport, the release said.
He went to Wilcox Hospital for medical treatment. His status was unavailable at press time.
Rockfall work
According to The Garden Island’s archives, DLNR pulled out of Kalalau on Nov. 1 to deal with “Block I at a later time,” said Tobia Koehler, an environmental planner for AECom. DLNR hired the company to oversee the project. Block I is described as a large rock formation attached to a cliff on the north end of the beach. It is perched above a waterfall.
For the project, AECom employees suspended themselves from the top of the cliff and used crowbars to hammer out rocks. Another portion of the project involved bringing down two massive blocks that appeared to be slowly detaching from the cliff’s face, The Garden Island reported in October.
Project opponent and Lihu‘e attorney Kurt Bosshard said although he isn’t sure if Sunday’s falling rock came from the same waterfall that received DLNR’s recent attention, the department may have created a problem for itself.
If it is the same waterfall, he said, “The state may have opened itself up to liability claims or by virtue of not resolving the situation.”
“The better alternative is to disallow personal injury lawsuits in places and parks that are notoriously dangerous,” Bosshard said. “It’s dangerous and unstable terrain that doesn’t allow for a quick fix.”
• Jessica Musicar, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or by e-mailing jmusicar@thegarden
island.com.
