The Coast Guard (Honolulu Command Center) responded to a medevac request from the Kauai Fire Department late on Thursday night, August 28, 2014. A 24-year old hiker had reportedly fallen from a remote part of the Kalalau Trail, along the Na Pali Coast of Kauai. The Coast Guard arrived on scene around 12:04 am on Friday. A rescue swimmer was lowered down to assist the hiker, performed CPR for about 1/2 hour. The hiker was unresponsive and the rescue swimmer was directed to stop by they Coast Guard flight surgeon. The rescue swimmer stayed with 4 other members of the hiking party while the helicopter refueled in Lihue.
After refueling, the helicopter returned to pick up the rescue swimmer as well as one of the other members of the hiking party who had a leg injury. The injured hiker was transported to EMS at Lihue Airport at 2:30 am.
The remaining hikers were transported from the site by a Kauai Fire Department helicopter. Member of the Kauai Fire Department hiked in to recover the body of the deceased hiker on Friday.
The Kalalau Trail is an 11-mile trail that leads from Ke’e Beach to Kalalau Beach along the Na Pali Coast on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. The Kalalau Trail is part of the Hawaii State Parks system.
[Update- August 30, 2014] The man has been identified as Zachary Rose (29) of Maui. The Kauai Police Department reported that Zachary had been hiking between mile 7 and Red Hill, when he fell over the edge and landed on the rocks roughly 50 feet below. A fellow who hiked down the cliff after Zachary was unable to resuscitate him. The accident reportedly happened around 7 pm on Thursday.
