Firefighters rescued three female hikers Friday night who got stranded on the Waimano Trail in Pearl City due to darkness.

The hikers, ages 12, 25 and 27, began the hike at 5 p.m., and hiked for two and a half hours up the trail when darkness set in, said fire Capt. David Jenkins.

They used their cell phones to call for help, but were not equipped with flashlights.

Sunset was at 7:30 p.m.

Fire rescue personnel used flashlights to hike to the stranded hikers, beginning at the trailhead at 8:30 p.m., and were estimated to arrive at 10 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., and return to the trailhead with the uninjured hikers at about midnight.

Jenkins said the rescue could have been prevented had the hikers been prepared or simply turned around in time.

He urged hikers to know the trail they hike on, leave with plenty of ample daylight to return, and be equipped with flashlights, cell phones and water.

The Waimano Trail is 7.2 miles one way, making it 14.4 miles roundtrip.

He said many visitors assume twilight in Hawaii is longer as in other places.