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Missing hiker rescued 1,000 feet below Pali Notches trail after 3 days

A visiting, 34-year-old male hiker who had been missing for three days was found Thursday in Nuuanu, according to the Honolulu Fire Department.

HFD said it received a call from the Honolulu Police Department at 12:11 p.m. for the missing hiker, with the last known location near the Pali Notches Trail. Five units with about 13 personnel responded.

After setting up command at the Pali Lookout, HFD conducted an air search and found the man about 1,000 feet below the trail.

After providing basic life support, HFD airlifted the man to a landing zone and transferred him to the care of Emergency Medical Services at 2:24 p.m.

Social media posts earlier in the day requested help locating the man, who had been missing for three nights, and sharing the most recent videos he had posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, with sweeping views of a valley, followed by the Koolaus shrouded in clouds in an attempt to pinpoint his last known location.

The family, which had reported the hiker missing to HPD, reached out to members of the Oahu Hiking Community group on Facebook, which helped determine where he was, according to posts.

Police provided HFD with the hiker’s last known geolocation, and rescue personnel conducted the air search based on that vital information.

EMS met the patient near Nuuanu Reservoir and administered life-saving treatment on the man, who suffered multiple injuries, and took him to an emergency room in serious condition.

A recent message from the hiker’s sister thanked the Oahu Hiking Community for their help, and said that her brother, Ian Snyder, suffered from a fractured cheekbone and broken bone in his hand, in addition to scratches and puncture wounds.

“It’s truly a miracle of God,” she wrote. “There were truly angels surrounding him those 3 days. We are so thankful for the local community there on Oahu, and for the countless people who have been praying for him. Thank you!!”

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