Honolulu firefighters this morning rescued a hiker at Diamond Head State Monument who was having difficulty breathing.

The 911 call came in at 7:36 a.m., according to the Honolulu Fire Department, for a hiker in distress on the Diamond Head Summit Trail. Six units with 18 personnel responded, with the first arriving on scene seven minutes later. Firefighters began ascending the trail and found the hiker in distress at 7:56 a.m.

A 40-year-old man visiting from California was hiking with a group of five when he began having difficulty breathing and was unable to continue. HFD airlifted him to a landing zone at Diamond Head Crater and transferred him to the care of Emergency Medical Services at 8:12 a.m.

He was taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition.

While the rescue operation was in progress, another hiker near the top of the Diamond Head trail at 8:08 a.m. waved frantically to alert firefighters of another hiker in distress.

Firefighters climbed up to find the second hiker — a man in his 60s who was hiking with a group of six visitors from California — experiencing general weakness and who was unable to continue.

HFD airlifted the man and his wife to the landing zone at Diamond Head Crater and transferred him to the care of EMS at 8:21 a.m.

HFD urges the public to learn about a trail prior to hiking so you know the degree of difficulty, as well as knowing your physical abilities and limitations.

Prior to the pandemic, Diamond Head in 2019 was the top spot for hike rescues, according to HFD statistics. This was due, in part, to the sheer volume of visitors that went up the trail to visit its summit, which was estimated at more than 1 million a year.