A 64-year-old hiker was rescued Tuesday while it was dark and snowing heavily on Mauna Kea after failing to return before nightfall.
The lost hiker was found in a small cave at 13,000 feet on the Humuula Trail by the University of Hawaii Maunakea Rangers, according to a University of Hawaii press release.
The rangers, who are part of the University of Hawaii at Hilo’s Center for Maunakea Stewardship, started looking for the man after he failed to return before it became dark.
At around 10:30 am, the hiker completed required registration with rangers at the Visitor Information Center on Mauna Kea. At the Visitor Information Center, hikers are advised about safety precautions and weather; an assessment of their gear is also performed.
On Tuesday, it started snowing around 1:30 pm, when the hiker was on the trail.
“The ground had snow and the snow was coming down so heavy that you couldn't see and everything looked white, so it was very disorientating,” said Nahua Guilloz, the director of stewardship programs at the University of Hilo Center for Maunakea Stewardship, in an email to Spectrum News Hawaii on Wednesday.
Rangers attempted to call the man when he didn’t return before it became dark, but were unsuccessful. They later learned he had filled out the wrong contact number on his form.
The hiker called 911, which enabled rangers to eventually connect with him and narrow the search area. It took an hour for the rangers to locate the man who was in a small cave.
“He was using the cave or rock outcropping as a shelter from the snow,” said Guilloz. “He was trying to stay warm and he had no injuries.”
Mauna Kea is one of the most dangerous places in Hawaii because of its extreme altitude and weather, and emergency services may be two hours away because it is so remote, the University’s press release said. Cell phone coverage is also unreliable, and there is only one emergency phone on the summit.