On January 15, 2024, the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) received a 911 call at 3:04
p.m. for a missing hiker on the Lanipo Trail in Kaimuki and responded with 6 units
staffed with 17 personnel. The first unit arrived at 3:19 p.m. and secured a landing zone
at the Palolo District Park so rescuers could board Air 1 and load the necessary
equipment onto the aircraft for a search and rescue operation by air. Other rescuers
ascended the trail on foot to begin the search by ground.
Hikers reported that a barking dog was about two hours from the trailhead without a
handler and was off to the side of the trail on a steep mountain slope. Using the
geolocation of the 911 caller, Air 1 was able to visually locate the dog and inserted a
lone rescuer nearby. The rescuer rappelled about 20 feet down the slope to retrieve the
dog at 3:55 p.m. While airlifting the dog and rescuer to the landing zone, the Air 1 pilot
noticed an object about 70 feet below where the dog was found. After airlifting the dog
to safety, the same rescuer was reinserted and rappelled down the steep mountain
slope again and found the object in question to be a bag filled with personal items.
While caring for the dog at the landing zone, the name of the dog’s owner and phone
number was found on the dog’s collar. Phone call attempts were unanswered
prompting a request for the Honolulu Police Department to perform a wellness check at
the dog owner’s address resulting in no one being at home.
After gathering more information about the dog’s owner, including confirming that her
car was parked at the trailhead, an extensive and coordinated search by air and ground
resulted in finding the 35-year-old female at 5:37 p.m. She was found about 100 feet
below where her bag was located but under thick foliage. After performing a medical
assessment and providing basic life support treatment, she was packaged into a rescue
stretcher for an airlift extraction. Air 1 was able to airlift her safely to the nearby landing
zone at 5:59 p.m. where her medical care was transferred to the Emergency Medical
Services.
All HFD personnel were accounted for with no injuries.
