Kauai Fire Department Rescues Hikers Saturday Night on Kalalau Trail After Seizure

Kaua‘i Fire Department crews from the Hanalei Fire Station and Rescue 3 responded shortly after 8:30 p.m. Saturday to the Kalalau Trail near Hanakapi‘ai Beach after a 19-year-old female visitor experienced what was described as an apparent seizure and then reported dizziness and fatigue. Responders found the woman alert but tired and struggling to continue.

On arrival, first responders provided hydration and performed an evaluation of the 19-year-old, then assisted the group of four hikers on the return down the trail. The hiking party was escorted back to the trailhead, and the 19-year-old declined further medical treatment at the scene. Kaua‘i County dispatch records and preliminary KFD reporting indicate the scene was cleared shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday.

Units that responded to the Saturday night call are listed in the preliminary KFD account as personnel from the Hanalei Fire Station and Rescue 3. Multiple local reports place the incident location specifically near Hanakapi‘ai Beach along the Kalalau Trail and give the initial report time as shortly after 8:30 p.m.; those reports also note the party consisted of four people and that no airlift or helicopter transport was documented for the Saturday incident.

Kauai Fire Department officials offered an on-the-record safety reminder tied directly to the Kalalau Trail’s known hazards: “The Kauai Fire Department reminds hikers to plan ahead, bring sufficient water, and monitor physical conditions when hiking the Kalalau Trail, which can be strenuous and challenging even for experienced hikers.”

The Saturday night escort follows a separate Thursday rescue on the same trail that required KFD’s helicopter, Air 1. That earlier incident involved a 51-year-old German visitor and a child; Rescue 3 aboard Air 1 airlifted the pair to Princeville Airport after the adult suffered severe stomach issues. KFD chief Michael Gibson, speaking about the Thursday response and concurrent operations at Kahili Beach searching for a missing fisherman, noted the department’s limited airborne resources: “Our crews are always ready to help when there is a true emergency, but it is important for the public and visitors to understand that (the) Kauai Fire Department has only one rescue helicopter,” and “We urge everyone to carefully assess their situation and call for assistance only when it is truly needed, so this critical resource remains available for real emergencies.”

KFD’s preliminary report on the Saturday incident lists Feb. 28 as the date of the response; officials have not released names for the 19-year-old beyond the designation “visitor,” and no further transport to a hospital was reported after she declined care on scene. The department’s message underscores ongoing operational pressures and the need for hikers on the Kalalau Trail to carry water, monitor symptoms, and plan exits before heading into the Hanakapi‘ai stretch.