A 72-year-old man was hospitalized in serious condition Wednesday after falling about six feet into a below-ground electrical vault on private property in Nāpili. Hawaiian Electric crews cut power to the vault before firefighters could safely pull him out, and he was flown off the ground by air ambulance.
Fire crews were called to the scene on the 5100 block of Lower Honoapiʻilani Highway at around 2:41 p.m. on Wednesday, according to Maui Now. The outlet reports the man was seriously injured after the six-foot fall into the vault on his own property.
Confined-Space Rescue Required De-Energized Power
Personnel from Engine 11, Engine 3, Ladder 3, Rescue 10 and a battalion chief responded to carry out the confined-space rescue, per the same account. Because the man had fallen into an active electrical vault, Hawaiian Electric crews worked alongside firefighters, de-energizing power to the structure so crews could safely extricate him.
The rescue effort concluded at 3:51 p.m., roughly an hour after crews first arrived, the report notes. Reports differ on the specifics of the man's injury: Maui Now described a laceration to his groin, while Hawaii News Now, citing the Maui Fire Department, reported the laceration was to his upper thigh.
Flown To Maui Memorial Medical Center
Once freed from the vault, the man was transported to Maui Memorial Medical Center via Reach 48 Air Ambulance, according to the Maui Now report. Hawaii News Now's Thursday coverage confirmed he was hospitalized in serious condition following the fall.
No further details on the man's condition beyond that initial hospitalization have been reported, and the cause of the fall has not been disclosed in either account.
