NAPALI — A 47-year-old woman who wasn’t injured was airlifted from Kalalau Valley Sunday afternoon. It was the ninth air rescue from the area this year. Authorities were notified about the Houston woman needing help at Kalalau Beach, which is
NAPALI — A 47-year-old woman who wasn’t injured was airlifted from Kalalau Valley Sunday afternoon. It was the ninth air rescue from the area this year.
Authorities were notified about the Houston woman needing help at Kalalau Beach, which is 11 miles into the valley.
Engine 1, Truck 1, Rescue 3, and Air 1 along with a state Department of Land and Natural Resources employee, responded to the scene about 2:45 p.m.
“Upon their arrival, they found that the woman did not sustain any injuries, but sought transport out of the valley,” said a press release.
The woman was flown to Princeville Airport in Air 1 and turned over to Medic 22. She refused treatment and was released.
In response to a question about why the woman was airlifted out if she was not injured, county spokeswoman Mary Daubert wrote, “The woman was incapacitated and would have probably needed assistance in the future, so the decision was made to take her out now.”
Kauai Fire Chief Robert Westerman said every rescue situation is different.
“The decision to send help is made by Battalion Command and the rescue on duty,” Westerman said. “We don’t have a level of severity for injuries. If they need to be flown out, we take them out.”
In fiscal year 2014-15, the county spent almost $20,000 on helicopter rescues. It costs about $450 an hour to operate Air 1, Westerman said.
