Teen disoriented, wobbly after risky flight
Long flights can leave anyone a little unsteady, but a teenager who defied the odds, surviving a flight from California to Hawaii tucked in a jetliner’s wheel well, was disoriented, thirsty and could barely walk after the freezing, low-pressure ordeal, airport officials said Wednesday.
Security video of his arrival shows the 15-year-old boy dangling his feet for about 15 seconds from the wheel well before jumping 8 to 10 feet to the ground, landing on his feet and immediately collapsing Sunday morning, Maui District Airport Manager Marvin Moniz said.
Staggering toward the front of the plane, the soft-spoken boy in a San Francisco Giants hoodie asked a ramp agent for a drink of water, setting in motion federal and local law enforcement investigations, national calls for better airport security, and a flurry of speculation about how anyone could survive such a perilous trip.
Abdilahi Yusuf Abdi, who said he is the boy’s father, told Voice of America on Wednesday that his son — who is still hospitalized in Honolulu — missed Africa, where they used to live, and had been struggling in school.
Abdi said he learned of the perilous journey Sunday when he got a call from police in Hawaii, but he couldn’t understand how he got to Maui and asked them to contact the San Jose Police Department.
"When I watched the analysis about the extraordinary and dangerous trip of my son on local TVs and that Allah had saved him, I thanked God and I was very happy," Abdi said.
Kidnapping call results in arrest of Hilo suspect
Police conducting an islandwide search arrested a man after receiving a report that he had kidnapped a woman in Hilo.
Bystanders at Spencer Beach Park in northwest Hawaii restrained Keahi Sale Saturday afternoon, after the woman called for help, police said
Police were holding Sale, 25, of Hilo at the Hawaii Community Correctional Center pending a court appearance in Hilo on Friday. He was charged with kidnapping, sexual assault, terroristic threatening and two counts of abuse. Bail was set at $80,000.
Police said Sale was first charged with violating the terms of release and two counts of violating probation. Police said other cases against him between September and April are pending review by the county prosecutor’s office.
Stubborn blaze fueled by wind burns 12 acres
Gusty winds fanned the flames of a brush fire in Kau on Tuesday near the southern end of Punaluu Beach.
It took 22 Hawaii island firefighters more than two hours to control the fire, which was reported at 5:52 p.m.
About a quarter-acre had burned and firefighters encountered a wall of flames 50 to 75 feet wide when they arrived just after 6 p.m.
Winds were blowing at 25 to 35 mph.
Firefighters used off-road vehicles to suppress the head of the fire and worked on protecting a roadway and Colony One condominiums.
Firefighters remained on the scene overnight to extinguish hot spots.
About 12 acres burned. No structures were involved and there were no injuries.
