Man Rescued Following 115-Foot Fall

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (HI)

On Tuesday, rangers rescued a 73-year-old man who had been stranded overnight after climbing over a barrier and falling 115 feet down a sheer cliff behind Volcano House. Late that afternoon, a hiker told park rangers at Kilauea Visitor Center that she’d heard someone crying for help from the dense vegetation along Halema‘uma‘u Trail, which lies directly below the hotel. Although she thought it was a prank, she reported the cries anyway. Rangers were able to locate the man and arrange a rescue. Park SAR coordinator John Broward was lowered by helicopter and pulled him to safety as the sun began to set. The man spoke little English, but told rescuers that he had fallen on Monday. The exact time is unknown. He was transported by ambulance to Hilo Medical Center with injuries to his pelvis and shoulder. He also had numerous scrapes and suffered from dehydration.