On August 22, 2026, the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) received a 911 call at 1:45 p.m. and responded to an injured hiker on the Mount Kaala Trail in Waianae with 5 units staffed with 14 personnel. The first unit arrived on scene at 1:57 p.m. to secure a landing zone nearby to prepare for air operations.
It was reported that a male in his 20s was hiking on the trail for over six hours when he became lost and unable to return to the trailhead on his own. Air 1 located the hiker and inserted rescue personnel near his location. They arrived at the hiker’s side at 2:36 p.m. to perform an initial medical assessment and confirm he was uninjured, before escorting him to an extraction point. Air 1, then, hovered over the open area, hoisted him safely onboard and transported him to the nearby landing zone, where he declined medical treatment.