Hiking party trapped on Kamananui Trail by flooded rivers reportedly safe after leaving trail by foot
UPDATE:
The Honolulu Fire Department performed aerial surveillance of the trail Friday morning to confirm that no hikers were stranded. A separate unit was sent to the trailhead parking lot to confirm that all vehicles present from Thursday’s rescue were gone, the department said in a news release.
A total of 14 hikers from two parties were stranded by rising rivers, HFD said. Three hikers from one group of five were airlifted to safety Thursday night, while remaining members of both parties hiked out without assistance after waters subsided.
No injuries were reported and all HFD personnel were safely accounted for, according to the release.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
A group of hikers stuck on Kamananui Trail in Moanalua this evening because of flooded rivers has reportedly made it off the trail, the Honolulu Fire Department has reported.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
Around 4:18 p.m. today, a call was made to HFD about a group of at least 13 people who were stranded on the trail in the Moanalua area. Responding firefighters noted that the rivers crossing the trail were “at a dangerously high level.”
HFD set up a landing zone for its Air 1 helicopter at Moanalua Valley Park, and, while weather conditions allowed it, were able to airlift three people to safety.
The fire department had also deployed utility terrain vehicles to try to reach the other members of the hiking group, but were not able to reach them.
HFD, which sent out its news release of the incident at around 7:40 p.m., had to suspend its search until Friday morning due to “worsening conditions.” It told the remaining members of the hiking group to reach high ground and wait for them overnight.
Heavy rain on Oahu prompted a flash flood warning for the island until 11:30 p.m. tonight.
However, HFD was later contacted by the hikers, who said they had walked out of the trail on their own after the water levels of the rivers had fallen. The hikers reportedly said that everyone in the group was accounted for and that firefighters did not need to rescue anyone in the morning.
The fire department said it will still do an aerial search Friday morning to make sure there are no hikers still waiting for them.
