One hiker is dead and another was medevaced to safety by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew after an accident Thursday on a remote trail along Kauai’s Na Pali Coast. ADVERTISING One hiker is dead and another was medevaced to
One hiker is dead and another was medevaced to safety by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew after an accident Thursday on a remote trail along Kauai’s Na Pali Coast.
Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Honolulu Command Center received a medevac request from the Kauai Fire Department for a 25-year-old man who had fallen from the Kalalau Trail, according to the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard launched an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Air Station Barbers Point at 11:45 p.m. and rerouted an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew.
The Dolphin crew arrived on scene at 12:04 a.m. Friday and lowered a rescue swimmer. After an initial assessment, the rescue swimmer conducted CPR for 30 minutes. The flight crew communicated that the patient was unresponsive and the Coast Guard flight surgeon directed the rescue swimmer to stop CPR. The rescue swimmer remained with the other four members of the hiking party while the helicopter departed to refuel in Lihue.
The helicopter returned to the scene and safely hoisted the rescue swimmer as well as a hiker who sustained a leg injury. The injured hiker was safely transported to awaiting EMS at Lihue Airport at 2:30 a.m. Friday.
A Kauai Fire Department helicopter hoisted the remaining three hikers Friday and KFD personnel hiked in to recover the deceased hiker.
