A 34-year-old man from Haʻikū needed a cliff rescue on Maui’s north shore after paragliding off the bluffs below Paʻuwela Lighthouse. Ocean Safety and Maui Fire crews used a jetski and the Air 1 helicopter to reach him and move him to a landing zone, where EMS transported him to Maui Memorial Medical Center.
Where the rescue unfolded
According to Maui Now, the incident was reported at 12:43 p.m. last Saturday. Responding units included Engine 2, Rescue 10 aboard Air 1, and an Ocean Safety jetski team out of Hoʻokipa Beach Park. Fire officials told the outlet the paraglider had landed off course at the bottom of the cliffs, and crews wrapped up the emergency response at about 2:40 p.m.
How crews found and moved him
Hawaii News Now reported that Ocean Safety officers aboard a jet ski first located the injured flier along the shoreline, then Air 1 airlifted him to a landing zone where EMS assumed care. The station identified him as a 34-year-old Haʻikū resident and said he suffered injuries to his back, hips and legs before being taken to Maui Memorial Medical Center for treatment.
Context: north shore rescue work
This call landed amid other recent north shore interventions, for example, Maui News recently described a jetski recovery of two kayakers in distress in mid-January. Helicopter hoists like Air 1 are a regular feature of coastal and ridge rescues across the islands, as reflected in official accounts from the Honolulu Fire Department that describe similar missions.
County officials did not immediately release additional personal details about the patient. Emergency responders continue to urge residents and visitors to check wind and weather conditions carefully and to carry a reliable way to call for help when heading into cliffside or ocean areas, where a wrong turn can quickly turn into a complicated rescue.
