KAPAA — Firefighters responded to two calls of hikers in distress on Thursday night, both near Makaleha Falls in Kapaa.
KAPAA — Firefighters responded to two calls of hikers in distress on Thursday night, both near Makaleha Falls in Kapaa.
Police dispatch was notified of the first incident shortly after 6:45 p.m., when three hikers reported they were lost and stranded on the Makaleha Falls trail. At the time, one of the hikers reported being severely cold and said she could not feel her legs.
While on their way to respond, firefighters from the Kaiakea fire station received a second call of two other hikers also lost on the trail. The two hikers had joined the first group at their location.
At about 7:30 p.m., firefighters set out to hike the trail, and by 8:50 p.m. they discovered the five hikers at their pinged location.
All hikers were able to walk out of the trail on their own with the guidance of the firefighters and safely arrived at the trailhead by approximately 9:45 p.m.
The five hikers, all visitors from California and New York, did not report any injuries to officials and declined further medical treatment.
All individuals left the scene in their private vehicles.
Real smart, hiking in the forest when its beginning to get dark with no flashlights. The same happens on a regular basis in Wahiawa, Oahu, then we’ll have to send helicopters with search lights looking for lost hikers, causing $thousands.
A police officer I met at a coffee shop that evening told me they should leave them up there until the morning to “teach them a lesson”.
So, these 5 nitwits cost the taxpayers how much? Should charge these nitwits for all the costs, plus stiff fines for their total stupidity of getting “lost” on an island. Sadly, these are the people who breed and pass along their idiot genes.
Until there is some check on internet access to erroneous blogging sites about dangerous sites(Queen’s Bath, hiking certain trails, jumping fence to Wailua Falls this kind of behavior should be expected. Each tourist arriving(perhaps with declaration of incoming fruit etc) would read and sign a declaration that “calling for emergency assistance will be an acknowledgement of a need for help and will be billed for said emergency services rendered”. Reminders/warnings placed perhaps at all trail head markers and signs saying don’t jump this fence etc. I have read several times on different blogs the directions and how to for Queen’s Bath. Websites like that should be notified this is not appropriate or add the the stae will start charging for help. Tripadvisor, Yelp, Simple Google searches to name a few could all get the word out.