Pair of hikers airlifted from Kaau Crater Trail

Honolulu firefighters rescued a pair of hikers from the Kaau Crater Trail in Palolo Valley early this afternoon.

The Honolulu Fire Department responded to a 12:26 p.m. 911 call with five units staffed with 13 personnel, according to an HFD news release. The first unit arrived at 12:32 p.m. and secured a landing zone at the Palolo District Park in preparation for a search by air.

The two hikers, a 22-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman, were reportedly hiking for around four hours when they “became ill near the summit and could not continue,” the release said. Using their cell phone locations, fire dispatchers helped personnel on HFD’s Air 1 helicopter locate the hikers and inserted rescuers nearby.

Rescuers made contact with the hikers at 1:07 p.m. and conducted a medical assessment. The pair were both airlifted individually to the landing zone. The man’s medical care was transferred to the Emergency Medical Services at 1:22 p.m.