Man survives 80-foot fall while rappelling at Manoa Falls

A man was seriously injured after he fell about 80 feet at Manoa Falls this afternoon, the Honolulu Fire Department said.

The man, a 35-year-old Oahu resident, had successfully rappelled down the fourth in a series of waterfalls, and fell as he was attempting to rappel down the third waterfall when he fell about 80 feet onto the waterfall’s base just before 3:15 p.m., said Capt. Terry Seelig, fire department spokesman.

However, a man who said he was part of the hiking party but declined to be identified said the victim was not rappelling, but simply standing at the top of the second waterfall when he fell.

Firefighters who dropped down from a rescue helicopter reached the semi-conscious man and placed him in a basket. He was then airlifted to Manoa District Park where Department of Emergency Services personnel took him to the hospital in serious but stable condition about 4:15 p.m., Seelig said.

Two other hikers in the same party, a man in his 40s and a woman in her 20s, were also transported out of the scene via the fire department helicopter, he said.

The party was hiking in an area outside the established hiking trail, he said.