Halawa hikers rescued from rising stream

Twenty-five hikers stranded on the Kawainui Trail in Halawa Valley had to be airlifted out by the Fire Department's helicopter Sunday night.

The hikers -- 19 men, five women and a 13-year-old -- were part of a Sierra Club group that had started the hike at 8:30 a.m. and ran into trouble when they could not cross a stream because of rising water.

None of the hikers was injured, Fire Department spokesman Capt. Terry Seelig said yesterday. The last hiker was airlifted at 10:30 p.m.

Seelig said the firefighters from Rescue 2 and the Waiau station walked in and found the hikers after the group called by cell phone at 4:50 p.m. Also participating in the rescue was an engine company from Pearl City.

Although the group was made up of experienced hikers, they were not prepared to spend the night in case they ran into trouble, Seelig said. "They had one flashlight to signal for help, but it wasn't working."

Seelig urged hikers to exercise caution and to be especially aware of weather conditions. He noted that it had been raining all week in the Koolau mountain range, which caused streams in the area to rise.