11 hikers stranded overnight on Hawaii trail after nearby rivers flood, officials say

Nearly a dozen hikers were left stranded overnight on a Hawaii trail after rivers became dangerously high, fire officials said.

The Honolulu Fire Department received a call for help from a hiker who was with a group of three on Dec. 30. The hiker was stranded on the Kamananui Trail in Moanalua, a popular 9.6-mile out-and-back trail that follows a river.

Twenty-seven rescuers set out to help the hikers but instead found more people who were stuck in the same situation.

“The first fire fighters arrived at 4:28 p.m. and observed that the rivers crossing the trail were at a dangerously high level,” the Honolulu Fire Department said in a news release. “They also discovered an additional 10 people needing assistance.”

Rescuers tried to reach the hikers on Utility Terrain Vehicles, commonly called UTVs, but couldn’t get to their location.

The team also could not use a helicopter for aerial rescue because of heavy clouds and weather.

“A break in the cloud cover allowed HFD to resume both aerial and ground efforts,” fire officials said. “Three of five victims were recovered via Air 1, and returned to the trailhead at the Moanalua Valley Park.”

During the rescue, however, officials found nine other hikers also stranded as the weather was worsening. The rescue was suspended until the morning, leaving all 11 hikers stuck, the Honolulu Fire Department said.

The hikers spent the night on the trail after rescue efforts were suspended, according to Hawaii News Now.

The next morning, the two groups were able to hike out of the trail after the rivers went down, KHON 2 reported.

Aerial surveillance showed there were no hikers left on the trail, according to the news outlet. None of the hikers were injured.

This story was originally published January 3, 2022 at 9:48 AM with the headline "11 hikers stranded overnight on Hawaii trail after nearby rivers flood, officials say."