Kauai Travel Blog
First responders rescued a 67-year-old male visitor from California on the Wailua Falls Trail on Friday, July 23rd, 2021 reports the County of Kauai.
Kauai Fire Department personnel with the Lihue and Kapaa fire station, Rescue 3, the on-duty battalion chief, Kauai Police Department, and American Medical Response responded to the incident.
According to a preliminary report, first responders received a call from Kauai Police Department Dispatch at approximately 10:20 a.m. of a 67-year-old male visitor who attempted to hike down Wailua Falls from the parking lot.
Shortly after beginning the hike with his family, the male visitor slipped and fell approximately 25 feet off the trail.
At 10:35 a.m., firefighters arrived on scene and made contact with the hiker’s family and the hiker who appeared to suffer multiple head injuries.
Because of the rescue and terrain complexity, first responders utilized a multipurpose device hauling system to extract and secure the hiker at noon.
Kauai Police closed off a portion of Maalo Road, near the entrance to Wailua Falls, for approximately two hours while firefighters rescued the visitor.
The hiker was treated by personnel with the American Medical Response and later transported to a Wilcox Hospital.
The Wailua Falls Trail is a short, steep and prohibited trail that takes hikers from the Wailua Falls parking lot to the bottom of Wailua Falls. The trail is inherently dangerous and there are signs from the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources that say “Danger Keep Out Hazardous Conditions!” Nevertheless, despite the warnings, a steady stream of visitors make the hike daily. Many of the visitors do the hike on a whim after seeing people at the bottom of the falls from the main viewing area overlooking the falls. Many serious injuries have occurred on this trail and it is not recommended under any circumstances.
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