Heat and dehydration overcome 6 hikers on Diamond Head
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / JAN. 9
Paramedics responded to incidents between 9 and 11 a.m. today.
Honolulu paramedics responded to six separate incidents involving hikers on Diamond Head this morning.
The incidents occurred between 9 and 11 a.m. and were possibly related to the heat and dehydration, said Honolulu Emergency Services Department spokeswoman Shayne Enright.
Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Scot Seguirant said firefighters took five of those patients off the trail by helicopter.
Paramedics evaluated the six patients, including two men, ages 24 and 55; two women, ages 43 and 60; and two girls, ages 10 and 17.
All of the patients refused transport to a hospital, except the 17-year-old, who was taken by paramedics to an emergency room in serious, but stable condition, Enright said.
The temperature in Honolulu this afternoon was in the mid to upper 80s, but conditions were dry with little cloud cover, said National Weather Service forecaster Sam Houston. He said anyone outdoors should drink plenty of fluids and take frequent breaks.
On Thursday, the temperature hit 90 degrees in Honolulu for the first time this year, according to the weather service. Sept. 27 was the last time it was 90 degrees in Honolulu.
