HANAKAPIAI – Rescuers have recovered a female body from the rocky base of the Hanakoa Stream this morning. The body is believed to be that of a missing 19-year-old female hiker who was reportedly swept away while attempting to cross
HANAKAPIAI – Rescuers have recovered a female body from the rocky base of the Hanakoa Stream this morning. The body is believed to be that of a missing 19-year-old female hiker who was reportedly swept away while attempting to cross the stream Friday afternoon.
The woman has been living on Kauai for the past several months. Her identity has not yet been released.
According to officials, she and a male friend, age 24, were camping in the Kalalau Valley earlier in the week and were hiking out Friday afternoon. They were both swept down the Hanakoa Stream while attempting to cross it, but the man was able to make it to shore with minor injuries.
He tried to locate the woman, but after an unsuccessful search he hiked out of the valley to seek help.
Police dispatch was notified of the missing female at roughly 6 p.m. and Rescue 3 aboard Air 1 was on scene by 6:30 p.m. They conducted an aerial search for roughly an hour before nightfall forced them to suspend the search overnight, county officials said.
Search efforts resumed at daylight with assistance from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
The female’s body was located near the Hanakoa shoreline at roughly 11:30 a.m. and airlifted out of the area.
Volunteers from Life’s Bridges, a nonprofit grief counseling service, is assisting the woman’s loved ones.
