Visitor Airlifted in Mountain Rescue at “Bamboo Forest”

The Bamboo Forest. Photo by Vanessa Wolf

By Wendy Osher

A visitor from Argentina was airlifted from the Kailua area of East Maui on Sunday after suffering injuries while hiking in the area often referred to as the “Bamboo Forest.”

The incident was reported at 3:55 p.m. on Sunday, August 10, on a mountain trail near mile 6.5 of the Hāna Highway.

Fire officials say the 28-year-old man called for help after suffering a possible dislocated left shoulder.

An aerial search was conducted and the man was located on the top of a rope ladder in an area above the third pool, said Maui Fire Services Chief Lee Mainaga.

Officials say he was airlifted to a landing zone near the highway where medics took over care and transported the patient with non-life threatening injuries to the Maui Memorial Medical Center for further treatment.