WAIMEA — A District Court judge Tuesday doled out a plethora of community service hours to a group of hikers cited for trespassing after they were swept away amid flash flooding, prompting a daring, hours-long rescue last month at Anna’s Pond.
The 13 hikers, five women and eight men from Youth with a Mission and the University of the Nations in Kailua-Kona, each appeared in court before Judge Mahilani EK Hiatt in answer to a citation for simple trespassing in connection with the Nov. 3 incident.
Those cited following the rescue were Micah Watt, Galen Erickson, Aimee Alianza, Jonathan Emberley, Sarah V. Gali, Lucas McCann, Elin Rizell, Vilde Nyjordet, Vinicius Rodrigues Nascimento, Simon Tito Strehl, Sofie Hovda, Mikael A. Lao and Elvind Jacobsen.
Simple trespass is a violation punishable by a maximum fine of $1,000. The citation, though criminal, carries no jail term.
Each of the defendants could have requested jury trial, however, each declined, instead opting to address the matter Tuesday. All entered no contest pleas to the offense, with the exception of Jacobsen, who pleaded guilty.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Britt Bailey recommended Hiatt sentence 20 hours of community service to 10 of the defendants and 40 hours of community service for three of the defendants — Jacobsen, Hovda and Lao — whom Bailey identified in court as UN/YWAM staff members and said, thus, were more culpable.
Bailey also told each defendant that the state, landowners and rescuers hope that they learned from the incident.
“We have definitely learned our lesson and realize that our actions do have consequences and we are actively wanting to do anything we can for the community to repay them,” said Alianza, who was the first to face sentencing.
The court, however, was not bound by the recommendation and Hiatt issued her own sentence.
“The court is not going to accept the state’s recommendation. I’m going to sentence you to 40 hours of community service and ask that you try to do it up in North Hawaii,” said Hiatt.
She continued, “I am also very thankful, I was listening to the reports on what was going on, and am very glad that there was not significant injury that occurred. Again, the fact that there was so much risk and people placed at risk to make this rescue, we can certainly commend them and I think that you have seen that the community was there for you and now you can give back to them.”
Alianza and nine others, Watt, Erickson, Alianza, Emberley, Gali, McCann, Rizell, Nyjordet, Nascimento, and Strehl, were each separately sentenced to 40 hours of community service.
Hiatt sentenced separately Hovda, Lao and Jacobsen to 80 hours of community service, noting the stiffer penalty was because they were staff members of UN/YWAM.
“You are getting more because of your leadership role,” Hiatt told Jacobsen. Eighty community service hours would equal an $800 fine, if converted.
Each of the defendants, with the exception of Gali, Emberley, Hovda, Nyjordet and Watt, made statements to the court, thanking their rescuers, adding they’ve learned their lesson.
“Thank you so much for everyone that put their lives at risk to save us so we could be alive and stand here today. I learned a lot,” Lao said.
Said Jacobsen, “I definitely have learned and I am so grateful to have all of us alive today and I’m grateful to the people that helped with the rescue.”
Though Hiatt encouraged each of the 13 to perform the community service work in the North Hawaii area, she did not make that a requirement. Jacobsen was given permission to perform his community service hours in the Philippines where he is soon headed for a mission.
The 13 hikers, two of whom suffered minor injuries, were rescued after they were stranded in a flash flood event while trespassing into Parker and Anna ranches in Waimea on Nov. 3 to access Anna’s Pond. In all, 13 units were involved, including a county helicopter and two medic units and both rescue companies.
Arriving firefighters found three members of the hiking party on the west side of the mountain stream, which was fed by a waterfall. They told rescuers there was a total of 13 swimming in the stream when a flash flood occurred without warning.
Chopper 1 found three others walking through a pasture to the north. Others were found stranded on rocks along the stream. They were airlifted to a staging area to be treated by medics. The final three hikers were found on a rock ledge behind the waterfall. Rescuers had to rappel down cliffs estimated to be 150 to 200 feet in dark, windy and rainy conditions.
The rescue, which got underway at 4:18 p.m., took about five hours.
Following Tuesday’s court hearings, University of the Nations spokeswoman Erica Gustafson released a written statement noting the campus is celebrating 40 years on the island, desires “to be good stewards of the land alongside our local community” and honors the local justice system and its adjudication of the matter.
“As a campus, we are beyond appreciative of each department and individual involved in the rescue that took place on November 3rd. While the group’s hike was on their day off, and not sanctioned by our campus, we do recognize this incident impacted the broader community,” Gustafson wrote.
Gustafson also said in the email that the campus welcomes new staff and students every three months and briefs “them on ways of the land, safety, and respecting property, including ‘No Trespassing’ and ‘KAPU’ signage.”
“Since the incident, the leadership of our campus has personally reached out to the Hawaii Fire Department and extended their gratitude and commendation of their bravery and dedication to this island. We also appreciate West Hawaii Today for reaching out to us and taking the time to record the miraculous rescue and heroism of each person involved,” Gustafson wrote.
I guess if you’ve never really had a job 40 hours of community service might be considered a punishment?? I doubt they will take it serious.
The sentencing kind of makes sense since none of these people really have any money. And they were just out joy hiking, not really destructive, other than having to get HFD involved. Don’t think it was intentional.I get a lot of Uber drivers as staff members. I think I would throw the book at them harder on the second offense.
I guessing having to be rescued was an accident but the trespassing was probably intentional. Seems like kids now a days don’t have any respect for other peoples property.
ENTITLEMENT!!!! You are so correct my friend.
It was the teachers of the school who brought the kids and showed them disregard for no trespassing signs. A perfect example of children learning bad behavior from adults.
Probably the adults asked them to pray that nobody saw them.
So college kids are now children but when protesting or talking politics they are so bright and well informed that the voting age should be lowered to 16. Seems like a joke to me. ( . Y . )
Hey WHT did you purchase Grammar check with your MS Office or do you even own any? “that you try do it up in North Hawaii,” said Hiatt.”. Either the Judge speaks pidgin english or you misquoted them, “try to do it up in the North Hawaii”?
Of course, the officials of this YWAM cult who gave media responses to the incident completely lied and said that it was just kids off on their own, doing an “independent” hiking trip. We knew that was a lie when we read it, because the young victims of this cult have very little “independence.” Now we learn that there were three staff members leading the trip and it was an organized YWAM trip. They regularly trespass and disrespect the ‘aina on their organized trips, so why would anyone be surprised by this one? The imposed sentence is not inappropriate for the kids, but the cult leaders should have to pay the costs of the rescue.
YWAM should be financially responsible for the cost of this rescue – period!
In Colorado they make people pay for the emergency services and rescue agencies that were used. I think a bill sent to these people is fair. Also, anyone that says they are “missionaries” has not seen the incomes some of these University of Nations people make. I know of 2 that make over $70K a year from “donations”, all tax free and makes them eligible for welfare services like food stamps and Affordable Care Act. The parent institutions that brought these idiots to Hawaii should be sent a bill to make up what the offenders cannot cover.
Lip service.