On April 11, 2024, the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) received a 911 call at 7:04 p.m. from a lost hiker on the Koolau Summit Ridge above Kaau Crater and responded with 5 units staffed with 13 personnel. The first unit arrived on scene at 7:12 p.m. and established a landing zone at Palolo Valley District Park in preparation for a search and rescue operation by air.

A 19-year-old female was hiking alone, but had become disoriented and lost. HFD’s Air One spotted the hiker’s cell phone light at 7:37 p.m. but because of cloud cover and power lines above her, had to insert two rescue personnel on the trail well below the hiker’s location. Rescue personnel made voice contact with the hiker at 8:14 p.m. and were at her side at 8:28 p.m. A medical assessment was performed to confirm the hiker was uninjured before carefully hiking down below the clouds so she could be airlifted out. At 9:25 p.m. they reached a designated pick-up area but cloud cover was still too heavy for air operations. They had to continue down further until they reached a second pick-up area beneath the clouds at 10:30 p.m. The hiker was airlifted to the landing zone at Palolo Valley District Park by 10:48 p.m. where she refused medical treatment.

All HFD personnel were accounted for with no injuries.