Sacred Falls rock slide
suit says state negligent

By Debra Barayuga
Star-Bulletin

The family of a woman and her daughter who were seriously injured in a landslide at Sacred Falls Park on Mother's Day has sued the state.

Tech Sgt. Rodney E. Woodington, who is stationed at Hickam Air Force Base, yesterday filed suit in Circuit Court seeking an unspecified amount in damages.

This is the first lawsuit stemming from the rockslide that killed eight and injured 32 others and led to the indefinite closure of the popular nature park.

The suit alleges the state was negligent in failing to prohibit access or close the park when it knew or should have known the likelihood of rock falls made it dangerous for visitors, failing to warn the public of possible rockfalls and failing to patrol the area to ensure the safety of visitors.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources declined to comment.

Woodington's wife, Ireen, suffered a severely broken arm, a thigh puncture and various scrapes and bruises. In addition to bumps and bruises, his 9-year-old daughter had to have toes on her left foot amputated because they were crushed. The family had just been packing up to leave the falls when the rockslide occurred.

Woodington and his 7-year-old daughter were not injured because they had gone ahead on the trail.

The state subsequently closed Sacred Falls and nearby trails because they share similar geological traits. They remain closed indefinitely until the state completes a geological survey of Sacred Falls.

At least two groups of people have been cited for entering the prohibited areas since the tragedy.

Two men, part of a hiking party of five who entered the nearby Maakua Gulch Trail a week after the Sacred Falls landslide, in August were fined $118 each for disregarding the signs.

Gov. Ben Cayetano has said the state had not been negligent in maintaining the park or posting warnings and considered the tragedy "an act of nature."