Hikers Airlifted From Kahaualea Forest Reserve
A 36-year-old female with a sprained ankle, her five companions and two Ahiu Hawaii Tours trail guides were airlifted from the Kahaualea Forest Reserve Wednesday.
A county fire department release said the group was hiking to view an active lava flow in the reserve when they made a 911 cell phone call for help at about 5 p.m. Three other females, ages 14, 40 and 41, and two males, 13 and 35, were among the hikers.
The injured female hiker was about 3.5 miles along the trail when she slipped on muddy, unstable terrain, turned her ankle and was unable to continue walking, the release said.
The county helicopter removed the entire group to a safe landing zone in Fern Forest subdivision, where the injured woman was treated by medic personnel from Volcano Fire Station and the group required no further assistance.
The trail the group was on goes through pristine, Hawaiian rain forest dominated by old growth ohia trees and large hapuu ferns, then opens up to an open field with an active lava flow, the HFD release said.