LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i Fire Department personnel airlifted two hikers from Kalalau Beach on Saturday.
LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i Fire Department personnel airlifted two hikers from Kalalau Beach on Saturday.
First responders were initially notified of a 61-year-old female from New Jersey reportedly in distress and needing assistance at Kalalau Beach shortly after 10:15 a.m. The woman had previously hiked into Kalalau Valley with her husband.
A passing tour boat and tour helicopter reported an “SOS” on the beach before county responders were dispatched.
KFD rescue specialists aboard the county helicopter were dispatched to the scene and located a woman who then refused assistance. They left the scene and returned to service around noon.
At approximately 5 p.m., emergency personnel were dispatched back to Kalalau after a friend accompanying the New Jersey couple reported they both needed assistance out of the valley.
Rescuers airlifted the woman and her husband to Princeville Airport, where awaiting medics provided further assistance.
The entitlement of some people! Look if you put out SOS and someone comes to rescue you; you go. You certainly don’t refuse help then turn around and do it again! Please never ever ever ever come back here.
I couldn’t agree more. It is my hope to hike the Kalalau trail sometime in the next 5 years. I am going to make sure that I am physically fit/able to do this hike. I also plan on bringing a garbage bag and on the way out, fill it as much as I can carry to leave it nicer than I arrived. As a citizen from the mainland US we owe our respect to local Hawaiians and the land we visit.
I agree. Ridiculous entitlement! That is a difficult trail. My husband had great difficulty on it, and we ended up coming back in the dark (thanks to my headlamp!). I figured we got ourselves in too deep, we could get ourselves out. They need to never go back.
False alarm goes real! Hopefully these people (person(s) who signed the S.O.S) get charged twice for rescue fees.
Charge them double for the two trips our helicopter crew had to make.
All hikers to Hanakapiai or Kalalau should understand that they go at their own risk. They should be charged the cost of any rescue and should be required to leave a credit card # when they book their hike. Surely there must be an insurance company willing to write a policy to insure that they would be covered in the event of a required evacuation.
Not knowing the extent of any injury they may have sustained, or lack thereof, or whether they ended up in the hospital or not, or whether they declined further medical assistance once they arrived after a flight from Kalalau to Princeville Airport, I cannot comment on the appropriateness of their evacuation, but it is absurd that taxpayer must bear the brunt of these costly evacuations, Either you pay big-time for the flight out or your insurance policy pays. NO freebies for those who decide that they are not up for the hike out!
100% agree!!! Sickens me to hear things like this. So many of our heroes consistently putting their lives on the line for others who feel it’s owed to them.
Such a waste of resources. I hope they are billed for the noon AND 5pm service calls.
I’m curious; this is a repeating scenario on the Na Pali (as well as other areas of the island where rugged terrain prohibits rescue crews to evacuate on foot).
I agree with the commenters here that the cost of evacuation should be shouldered by the evacuees and not Hawaii resident taxpayers, but can anyone here cite the actual existing policy?
You are just taken to Princeville airport or to a hospital and that’s the extent of your responsibility as the inured or exhausted?
Visitors should sign something saying they will have to pay for at least part of the emergency cost and if they are somewhere they shouldn’t be, think climbing down to Wailua falls, they are liable. This all ng with a video about respecting our seals and turtles. I’m a tour guide, most people come here clueless.
Charge these people double!!
I was on the K trail that afternoon… TWO helicopters were dispatched for the 5pm call – outrageous use of taxpayer money – hikers need to be held financially responsible for their rescue costs, just as they are on public lands on the mainland.
Agree…if you are not sure don’t go on the trial. I first hiked it 50 years ago. We camped out for a few days at the beach. I was in great shape and still found it challenging. Resources for rescue should not be used because of a lack of common sense!