A hiker who went missing on the Wahiawā Hills Trail in Wahiawā was forced to ring in the New Year stranded after inclement weather forced the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) to suspend the search the night of December 31.
According to the HFD, a 9-1-1 call for a lost hiker came in at 6:42 p.m. on Tuesday. Five units staffed with 15 personnel were sent to the scene, with the first unit arriving on scene at 6:57 p.m. A landing zone was secured to prepare for a search by air.
The male hiker was reportedly hiking for around four hours before becoming lost and unable to descend the trail on his own. Unfortunately inclement weather forced crews to suspend the search at 8:02 p.m., and plans were made to resume at first light.
The next day, on January 1st, 2025, the HFD resumed the search again with five units staffed with 15 personnel. The hiker’s location was found and rescuers arrived at 6:58 a.m. After confirming there were no injuries, the hiker was safely airlifted to a landing zone at 7:07 a.m.
