On March 2, 2024, the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) received a 911 call at 1:17 p.m. for a lost hiking party on the Friendship Trail in Kaneohe and responded with 5 units staffed with 13 personnel. The first unit arrived on scene at 1:27 p.m. and secured a landing zone nearby in preparation for a search and rescue operation by air.

It was reported that a 41-year-old female, who had been hiking on the trail for about four hours with three pre-teen children, became lost and in need of assistance. With the geolocation from her 911 cell phone call, Air 1 was able to locate them on a mountain ledge above the Kapaa Quarry at 1:52 p.m. Because of their precarious location, Air 1 skillfully hovered and lowered a rescue person to extract each of them off of the mountainside one-by-one. Each of them was safely airlifted to a nearby parking lot owned by the HC&D, LLC. The first hiker arrived at 2:12 p.m. and the last arrived at 2:36 p.m. No medical attention was needed.

All HFD personnel were accounted for with no injuries.

Hiking Safety Tips:
Assess Your Fitness Level and Hiking Capabilities – Compare your level of fitness, ability, and experience with the trail description. Be practical and realistic. There are a wide variety of trails in Hawai‘i, so pick one that suits your level. Ensure you stay hydrated to avoid heat exhaustion, becoming disoriented, and muscle cramps.