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More hikers are finding that nature's
beauty can lead to an ugly situationBy Jaymes K. Song
RECENT RESCUES
Star-BulletinAs more inexperienced and unprepared hikers venture into Oahu's woods and off the trails, search-and-rescue missions have multiplied.
There were nine rescue missions for missing, lost or stranded hikers last month -- double the monthly average for the past couple of years, said Hardy Akau, assistant chief of the Honolulu Fire Department and head of the special operations bureau.
"There's more people in the mountains," Akau said. "Everybody wants to climb mountains and look at the beautiful view."
Many lost or injured hikers got into trouble when they strayed from trails or started their hikes too late and got trapped in darkness, Akau said.An estimated 90 percent of those rescued have been visitors.
"We're seeing a different breed of tourists," said HFD Capt. Richard Soo, describing them as more adventurous and outdoors-oriented. "They've already done the bus tours and the commercial thing. They want to be by themselves."
Visitors sometimes underestimate dangers in the island's rugged, dense and untouched mountains and valleys.
"It's just like the ocean," Akau said. "They think it's the same as a swimming pool. They turn their back to take a picture and, bam, they get swooped out."
But, it's not just tourists who need to be rescued, said Gary Moniz, chief of enforcement for the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Some of Hawaii's recent rescues
"A lot of people, in general, think they're going to take a stroll in the mountain or an easy hike some place," Moniz said. "And, the people who stray into undeveloped areas get in trouble."
One example was the massive search in August for two Danish hikers, Anitta Winther and Marianne Konnerup, who veered off a path at Kahana Valley State Park and ended up stranded atop a 2,265-foot high cliff for eight days.
Mabel Kekina, of the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club, said visitors aren't used to Hawaii trails, which are not like trails on the mainland, which are "well manicured and well marked."
"They don't know our mountains," she said.
In fact, a 27-year-old tourist volunteered to help search the Wahiawa Hills Trail for the still-missing hiker, Robert LeFevre, only to get into trouble himself. Tim Stapp was able to walk out unharmed, but LeFevre's wife, Amy, observed he wasn't prepared for an Oahu hike. "He had only hiked on the mainland," she said.
When is a search initiated?
A search is initiated as soon as someone is reported missing and when authorities have an idea where the missing hiker went, said Det. Joseph Self, of the Honolulu Police Department's missing persons unit.A rescue operation sometimes is held up because the caller does not know where the hiker went.
In that case, police will search for the person's vehicle or any evidence that can lead to a location. In cases where there is no evidence, police will issue press releases, hoping someone may have spotted the missing person.
Once a location is confirmed, police and fire rescue crews are dispatched, including a search-and-rescue team and helicopter.
If needed, police Special Service Division officers, K-9 units, a police helicopter, state land officers and federal firefighters are called. A large operation can consist of 60 rescuers.
The key is working together quickly and efficiently.
"The state, county, federal --everybody clicks," said Moniz. "Everybody has one purpose and that's to get to the missing person as quickly as possible and get them out safely."
The search strategy
Combing the mountains for several hours and days is an exhaustive, rigorous, dangerous task, rescuers said."The analogy 'needle in a haystack' is a good one," said Kaaawa fire Capt. Gary Pardy. "The mountain areas are vast and heavily forested. It's difficult to spot anybody unless they're right in front of you."
Oahu's rugged mountains, rainy conditions, steep climbs and thick brush can make the search doubly difficult.
Rescuers not only search for the person, they hunt for anything out of place, such as damaged brush, clothing, garbage, etc., Moniz said.
He usually sends three to 10 officers to any rescue effort, adding that he rotates officers frequently to avoid overtime costs and to keep them fresh.
After three full days of searching, officials will assess the situation and make a decision to either continue or stop. However, if any evidence is discovered, such as a hiker's water bottle or T-shirt, the search may be extended.
"The hard part is suspending search for further info," said Self, who has been with the missing person's detail for 11 years. The families "feel we are letting them down. But how far do you go?"Everybody gets worn out going over the same ground, over and over," he said. "We can't do that. It gets ridiculous."
Kekina, who has witnessed numerous searches, said people don't understand how tiring and how much work it takes to find a lost hiker. She said rescuers should be commended, not criticized.
"Some people are critical," Kekina said. "If you go back there in the hills with them, it's a different story."
Although searches consume thousands of taxpayer dollars, it is difficult to say exactly how much each search costs. Part of the difficulty is that fire rescuers would be working anyway.
But, as an example, officials estimated the extensive six-day search for the missing Danish women cost more than $100,000.
Officials based their estimates on what they charge film companies to use staff and equipment: $538 an hour for a helicopter and pilot; $252 an hour for a fire engine and five firefighters. That means an average rescue mission would cost $1,700 per hour.
A law allows the state to seek restitution from rescued hikers who deliberately ignore signs in potentially hazardous areas. However, it is rare for the fire and police departments to recover any costs. But more than the cost of operations, search efforts often put rescuers at risk. Some have died and many have been injured trying to help others.
One of the deadliest rescue attempts was in 1995. HFD helicopter pilot Peter Crown, and HPD officers Bryant Bayne and Tate Kahakai were killed while searching for a lost hiker at Sacred Falls State Park. Wade Johnson, a Brigham Young University-Hawaii student has never been found. Bayne and Kahakai were suspended in a basket below the helicopter when weather conditions worsened and the helicopter crashed.
Rescuers also are vulnerable to flash flooding when it rains, or to a heat stroke when it's hot, officials said.
Kahana Valley troubles
Thousands every month are drawn to the serene, picturesque mountains of Oahu. From almost any point on the island, locals and tourists can drive less than an hour and be hiking into the lush forests of Maunawili or along the Dupont ridge trail above Waialua, which climbs 4,000 feet above sea level.But, according to rescuers, Kahana Valley State Park is the site of most rescues.
"Kahana Valley seems to trouble a lot of hikers, not just the Danish girls," said one HFD helicopter pilot.
What about volunteers who want to help? For liability reasons, fire and police officials never sanction volunteer searches.
The Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club often gets involved in searches, offering its expertise.
"They don't stop us, but we are on our own," said Kekina, the club's trail maintenance chair. "We're the unofficial help."
In fact, it was her group -- after one day of hiking -- that led to the discovery of the two Danish hikers in Kahana Valley. Official rescue crews had been searching unsuccessfully for six days.
A checklist
SOME ESSENTIALS TO TAKE
BEFORE THE HIKE . . .
DURING THE HIKE . . .
IN AN EMERGENCY
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Sources: State Department of Land and Natural Resources, Honolulu Fire Department, Honolulu Police Department, Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club
