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BARRY MARKOWITZ / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER
HFD Air 1 flew above the treetops of the Koolau Mountains behind the Hawaii Kai Retirement Home on Tuesday.
Firefighters rescued two women who were stuck Tuesday on the mountains overlooking Hahaione Valley in East Oahu.
The women, both 20, reached a point where they couldn’t go forward or retreat while hiking the Kuliouou Valley Trail and called firefighters for help about 2:50 p.m., said Honolulu Fire Department Capt. David Jenkins.
Firefighters landed a helicopter on the ridgeline and picked up both women, taking them to safety about 3:30 p.m., Jenkins said.
The exhausted women, who were ill-prepared for the hike, had hiked three hours to the point where they became stuck without any water, Jenkins said. One of the women, however, was carrying a hula hoop.
Jenkins said the women were in an area where firefighters could land and pluck them off the ridgeline.
Jenkins urged hikers to properly prepare for hikes by wearing appropriate shoes, packing enough water, and researching a trail before attempting to hike it.
“Don’t go hiking on these mountains on a whim,” he said. “Arm yourself with knowledge.”
