On May 11, 2024, the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) received a 911 call at 12:26 p.m. for hikers in distress on the Kaau Crater Trail in Palolo Valley and responded with 5 units staffed with 13 personnel. The first unit arrived on scene at 12:32 p.m. to secure a landing zone at the Palolo District Park in preparation for a search and rescue operation by air.

It was reported that two adults, a 22 year-old-male and a 21 year-old-female, were hiking for about four hours and became ill near the summit and could not continue. With 50 percent battery life remaining on their cell phone, fire dispatchers could obtain their geolocation with high confidence. With the information, Air 1 was able to locate them near the summit and insert rescuer personnel nearby. The rescue personnel hiked a short distance to arrive at the hikers’ side at 1:07 p.m. where a medical assessment was completed to confirm they were not severely injured. Air 1 airlifted the hikers individually to the nearby landing zone where the male hiker’s medical care was transferred to the Emergency Medical Services unit at 1:22 p.m.

All HFD personnel were accounted for with no injuries.