Chicago Woman Found Safe After Search at ʻĪao Valley

‘Iao Valley, photo by Wendy Osher.

By Maui Now Staff

A visitor from Chicago was rescued from ʻĪao Valley State Park on Monday night, May 18, after becoming separated from the group she was hiking with.

Fire rescue crews were dispatched to the scene at 7:04 p.m. to find the 34-year-old woman who had gone hiking with two other females and a male earlier in the day.

The four, all visitors from Chicago, had hiked into the valley along a ridge trail that begins at the top of the visitor lookout.

On their way back down, fire officials say the woman fell behind. The male traced back to look for her but could not find her, and became lost himself; but eventually found a stream and followed it back to the parking lot where he met up with the two other females, according to department reports.

Maui Fire Services Officer, Edward Taomoto said emergency dispatchers made contact with the woman via mobile phone and were able to get a GPS fix on her location.

A Kahului rescue crew assisting in the search located the woman about a mile above the visitor lookout at 8:30 p.m.

Fire officials say she was uninjured and was walked safely out to the parking lot at 9:15 p.m.