Visiting paraglider found safe in Koolaus

Fire rescue personnel found a Wyoming woman safe yesterday afternoon after she disappeared earlier in the day while paragliding above Kahana Valley.

The crew of a fire helicopter spotted the woman's paraglider wing at 3 p.m. on the leeward side of the Koolau Mountain Range. The woman was found about 10 minutes later, hiking two miles down a stream bed toward the central plains, said fire Capt. Terry Seelig.

The woman, in her mid-20s, was uninjured and “;grateful but shaken,”; Seelig said.

Seelig said the woman had gone paragliding with three others in Kahana Valley and disappeared in a low-altitude cloud.

She apparently had gotten swept by an air current into the cloud, and her group lost sight of her and did not know where she went, Seelig said. They reported the woman missing at about 11:50 a.m.

A fire helicopter was used to search the area, but the region is covered by dense undergrowth and a canopy of trees.

The woman, an experienced paraglider, ended up going north behind Hauula Valley onto the other side of the mountain range.

Fire rescue personnel brought her to Swanzy Beach Park.

The woman had been paragliding on the mainland and had flown in Makapuu during her month in Hawaii, but never before in the Kahana Valley area.

Seelig said he did not know whether the woman set the paraglider down or crash-landed.

Woman alleges being drugged and raped

Police arrested a 24-year-old Ewa Beach man Sunday who allegedly sexually assaulted a 27-year-old woman who spent the night at his house.

Police said the woman reported she was possibly drugged, then sexually assaulted while spending the night at the man's Ewa Beach home Friday.

The sexual assault allegedly occurred between 2 to 5 a.m. Friday, police said. The woman then reported the assault at the Wahiawa police station on Sunday.

Police arrested the man on suspicion of first-degree sexual assault.

Charges are pending conferral with prosecutors.

Big Island police offer alerts on cells, e-mails

The Hawaii Police Department is now offering news alerts and eventually road closure information by cell phone or e-mail.

Chief Harry Kubojiri said the service allows the department to send police-related information directly to the public.

Nixle provides the service free to government agencies. It is also free for users except for text message charges that might apply.

To receive messages, go to http://www.nixle.com and click on “;register now.”; Once registered, go to “;locations”; and enter any location in Hawaii County to start receiving messages from the department.

Kayaker goes missing while on fishing trip

Fire rescue personnel were searching in Waialua last night for a missing kayaker in his mid-50s.

A paddle resembling those he reportedly uses was found at about 8:15 p.m., said fire Capt. Terry Seelig.

The local man, who goes out fishing regularly on his kayak, was last seen at 6 p.m. yesterday. His family reported him missing at about 7:30 p.m., Seelig said.

Coast Guard and police were working with the Fire Department in the search.