Rescue crews resume search for missing hiker on Hawaii island
Hawaii County firefighters resumed a search at dawn today for a missing hiker in Kau.
Shortly before 2 p.m. Thursday, a friend called 911 to report the hiker was lost in the Kaalaiki area. The hiker used his cell phone to call his friend.
Firefighters met with his friend who escorted personnel to the last known location of the hiker.
Fire Battalion Chief Joseph Farias said they attempted to call the hiker, but the hiker could not be reached.
Firefighters searched by air and on the ground until nightfall.
There was poor visibility because of the dense forest. The area also has high embankment rivers and waterfalls. Trails are also not clearly marked because of the heavy vegetation, posing challenges, said Farias.
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Nine firefighters and the fires department’s rescue helicopter were to return to the area this morning.
Farias recommended lost hikers call 911 so firefighters can determine their location using GPS and to stay in place at night or in bad weather.
One response to “Rescue crews resume search for missing hiker on Hawaii island”
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Create helicopter-based mobile communication relay “towers.”
Cell transmission/reception problems in these mountain-blocked remote areas could and should be remedied by creating a helicopter-based “tower” for message/call relays. I know of a mobile (trailer-based) Verizon “tower” being used, so why not attach one to a helicopter, that (if necessary for functioning) can just hover during the few minutes of transmission/reception? Just repeat the stop-and-hover (if necessary) every 5 -10 minutes in course of other ‘copter flight objectives) during “search and rescue.” It might take one of those big military choppers to carry the mobile “tower,” versus the typical rescue chopper size, but I’ll bet the Army would be happy to provide this service. On the Big Island, the Army’s Pohakuloa training is perfectly situated to respond with this service in any direction in a matter a minutes – Ka’u, Hamakua, South Kona, and North Kohala are all equidistant.