New York visitor rescued from Kalalau Trail on Friday suffering from dehydration

Fire officials rescued a 26-year-old woman from New York who became distressed while hiking the Kalalau Trail on Friday morning after reporting that her condition had worsened overnight, the Kauaʻi Fire Department said.

The incident initially was reported shortly before 9:10 p.m. on Thursday.

Because the hiker had not reported any life-threatening injuries and because the departmentʻs Air 1 helicopter does not conduct nighttime flights, the rescue was delayed until daylight on Friday.

The hiker texted 911 on Friday morning to report that her condition had deteriorated, prompting Rescue 3, aboard the Air 1 helicopter, to respond shortly before 7:55 a.m.

First responders located the East Coast woman at Kalalau Beach, where she was reportedly suffering from dehydration.

She was taken by helicopter from the beach landing zone to Princeville Airport and transferred to American Medical Response for evaluation. The woman declined further medical treatment and was released, officials said.

The scene was cleared shortly before 10 a.m.

Kaua‘i Fire Department Chief Michael Gibson urged hikers to prepare for the conditions they may encounter and to assess their abilities before entering remote areas.

“Being tired, scared or unprepared for the conditions on the trail is not, by itself, an appropriate use of emergency rescue resources,” Gibson said.

Gibson said rescue resources are limited and unnecessary calls can delay responses to people experiencing life-threatening emergencies.

He encouraged hikers to plan ahead, understand their limitations, and call 911 when facing a genuine emergency.