A 32-year-old woman hiking the Makaua Hidden Garden Trail in Kaaawa slipped and injured her ankle while trying to cross a stream on Sunday night, touching off a nearly three-hour rescue effort by the Honolulu Fire Department in the middle of Tropical Storm Lala. She and her two hiking companions called 911 after she was unable to walk out on her own, according to a report from the City and County of Honolulu.
Firefighters and paramedics responded to the call and hiked up the trail with four total units, encountering dense vegetation, difficult terrain and poor trail conditions along the way, as reported by KHON2. Crews used chainsaws to cut through the overgrowth, according to the Honolulu Fire Department, which said its members received the 911 call at 7:24 p.m. Sunday, reached the stranded hiker at 8:57 p.m., and transferred her to Emergency Medical Services at 10:25 p.m.
Paramedics placed an ice pack on the injured woman's ankle and began treatment once they reached her. A good Samaritan on scene helped her two friends off the trail before rescuers completed the extraction, per the fire department's account. The city's report notes the injured hiker ultimately declined EMS transport to an emergency room and instead planned to seek medical care on her own.
A Storm That Shut Down the State
The rescue unfolded while Hawaii remained under a state of emergency that Governor Josh Green declared on August 13, a proclamation issued through the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency to mobilize state resources and place emergency responders on high alert statewide ahead of the storm. By the time the hikers set out Sunday night, Tropical Storm Lala had already knocked out power to more than 100,000 residents and prompted the closure of all public schools, courts and government offices the following Monday, according to PBS News. The storm also washed away roughly 100 homes on Hawaii Island, the outlet reported.
Just a day before the rescue, the Office of the Mayor issued a public advisory directing residents and visitors to avoid streams, ocean waters and fast-flowing water because of high winds, saturated soil and active flash flood threats on Oahu. Winds exceeding 40 mph and continuous rainfall had created elevated risks of falling branches and swelling streams, the mayor's office said. Statewide Brown Water Advisories followed on Monday, with the state urging the public to stay out of coastal waters and streams because of storm runoff carrying heavy debris and potential contaminants.
Extreme Rainfall Turned Streams Into Hazards
Rain gauges during Lala recorded staggering 48-hour totals, reaching up to 43.54 inches in Laupahoehoe on Hawaii Island and up to 48 inches in Kapalua, Maui, PBS News reported. Saturated mountain terrain across the islands led to rapid runoff and dangerous flash flooding in valley trails. The Makaua trail itself is an unmaintained valley route with slippery boulder scrambles and stream crossings beneath the Puʻu Manamana ridge line, conditions that make it especially vulnerable to flash floods during heavy rain, according to The Hiking HI.
Officials advised people to avoid hiking altogether unless they are certain of trail conditions, and to turn around the moment they encounter a difficult situation. First responders reiterated that hiking during severe weather puts both hikers and rescue crews at risk, and asked the public to stay off trails until conditions improve.
A Recurring Fight Over Who Pays for Rescues
The Kaaawa rescue also lands amid an ongoing legislative debate in Hawaii over who should shoulder the cost of hiker rescues. State lawmakers have repeatedly introduced bills, including Senate Bill 2358 in 2026 and Senate Bill 130 in 2025, that would require hikers rescued after entering closed or illegal trails to reimburse state and county agencies for at least half of search and rescue expenses, according to LegiScan records.
The Honolulu Fire Department has consistently opposed those efforts. In testimony reported by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the department warned that financial penalties could cause lost or injured hikers to delay calling 911 out of fear of the cost, potentially driving them toward hazardous self-rescue attempts instead. Separately, department data reported by the Star-Advertiser and relayed by EMS1 shows that heavily trafficked, easily accessible tourist trails such as Diamond Head Summit, Koko Head Stairs and Lanikai Pillboxes actually account for the highest annual volume of HFD hiker rescues on Oahu, even though technical rescues on remote ridges like the one near Kaaawa tend to draw more attention.
The Makaua rescue comes roughly a year and a half after Hoodline reported on an HFD rescue on the adjacent Puʻu Manamana ridge, underscoring how frequently this stretch of Kaaawa's backcountry has tested rescue crews.
