A 54-year-old woman from San Diego was rescued from the Ho‘opi‘i Falls Trail in Kaua‘i after suffering an ankle injury, this incident occurring amid unstable weather warnings. First responders were dispatched to the scene following a distress call that came in just before 11:15 a.m. on Wednesday, the Kaua‘i Fire Department reported.
The rescue operation involved personnel from the Kaiākea Fire Station, an off-duty firefighter, and the American Medical Response team as they navigated the trail to reach the injured hiker and Kaua‘i was under a Flood Watch at the time, from Tuesday through the evening of Wednesday, according to the Kauai County's press release. "We are grateful to our first responders and partners for their work in rescuing this visitor during unstable weather," Kaua‘i Fire Department Chief Michael Gibson expressed gratitude for the successful rescue.
Once located, the injured hiker was found with an ankle injury caused by a fall on the trail. The fire department personnel immobilized the victim and secured her onto a litter for extraction. She was subsequently handed over to the American Medical Response team for evaluation and treatment.
Following the initial medical assessment and stabilization at the scene, the woman was transported to Wilcox Medical Center for further care, the incident was resolved and the trail cleared by 12:55 p.m, with Michael Gibson noting in the Kauai County's press release, "We continue to advise everyone to avoid outdoor recreational activities during these conditions it can put yourself and our rescuers at great risk."
