Stranded opihi picker rescued

Fire rescuers used a county helicopter and Billy Pugh net to lift a stranded but uninjured opihi picker to safety Saturday afternoon in the Onomea area.

Authorities received a call just before 3 p.m. that the man had disappeared after rappelling down a cliff just north of Kawailani Stream. Personnel aboard the chopper spotted the man and rescued him.

The area is rugged coastline with steep cliffs and little or no shoreline access.