Lost Maunakea hiker rescued in heavy snow, sleet

A lost hiker was rescued Tuesday in thick white-out conditions on the Humuʻula Trail at the 13,000-foot elevation on Maunakea, according to the University of Hawaii.

At around 7 p.m., the UH’s Maunakea Rangers and fire and rescue personnel from the U.S. Army Pohakuloa Training Center trekked for about a mile through heavy snow and sleet to locate the 64-year-old hiker.

Two Rangers and four rescue and fire personnel assisted the hiker.

The Rangers, part of UH-Hilo Center for Maunakea Stewardship, were able to contact the man via cellphone and pinpoint his location.

After one hour of searching, they located the hiker in a small cave in between Waiau Lake and Maunakea Access Road. He was able to walk out on his own but was transported by personnel to the hospital.

Prior to the hike, at around 10:30 a.m., the man registered with rangers at the Visitor Information Center on Maunakea, as required.

Hikers fill out information forms at the VIS and are briefed on safety protocols, weather and undergo thorough assessment for proper gear.

Rangers attempted to contact the man several times after it got dark but were unsuccessful. They later found out he filled out the wrong contact number on his form. The hiker’s calls to 9-1-1 enabled rangers to eventually connect with him and narrowed the search area.

The public is asked to remember that the summit of Maunakea can be one of the most dangerous places in Hawaii because of the extreme altitude and weather conditions, and emergency services may be two hours away because of its remote location.

Cellphone coverage is unreliable, and there is only one public emergency phone on the summit.