On September 21, 2025, the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) received a 911 call at 3:50 p.m. and responded to distressed hikers on the Piiwale Ridge Trail in the Olomana/Nuuanu area with 5 units staffed with 15 personnel. The first unit arrived on scene at 4:06 p.m., established command and gathered information. The next-arriving unit secured a landing zone nearby to prepare for air operations.

It was reported that a 17-year-old female and a 17-year-old male were hiking for 7 hours and could not continue on because of rough and dangerous terrain in both directions. Air 1 inserted rescue personnel onto a safe area of the trail where visibility was clear. Rescue personnel then ascended the trail on foot and arrived at the hikers’ side at 6:15 p.m., where they conducted a medical assessment before proceeding to a safe extraction site. Air 1 and the Hoist Operator hoisted the hikers into the aircraft and transported them to the nearby landing zone. Medical care was transferred to the Emergency Medical Services at 9:31 p.m. for the first hiker and at 9:41 for the second hiker.

All HFD personnel were accounted for with no reports of injury.