On July 17, 2026, the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) received a 911 call at 1:58 p.m. and responded to a report of lost hikers on the Kaʻau Crater Trail in Pālolo with 5 units staffed with 13 personnel. The first unit arrived on scene at 2:10 p.m. and established command. An additional unit secured a nearby landing zone to prepare for a search and rescue operation by air.
It was reported that a male in his 50s and a female in her 40s were hiking on the trail for about three hours, got lost, and could not continue on their own. Air 1 located the hikers at 2:26 p.m. and rescue personnel were inserted near their location. Rescuers arrived at their side at 2:36 p.m., performed an initial medical assessment and prepared them for extraction. Air 1 hoisted both hikers safely onboard, and transported them to the nearby landing zone at 3:05 p.m. The hikers declined any medical care.
All HFD personnel were accounted for with no injuries reported.