Utah Man Medevaced After Fall in Nāhiku
A 29-year-old Utah man was medevaced to the Maui Memorial Medical Center in serious but stable condition after suffering injuries from a 20-foot fall into a dry streambed in the lower Nāhiku area on Friday afternoon.
Hāna firefighters received the call at 3:34 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 6, 2017. Fire officials said they found the man lying in the streambed with bystanders helping to keep the man comfortable. Officials say the male victim was unable to walk and that paramedics treated him for injuries to his hip and leg.
According to reports, the Utah man was standing near the stream bank and was peering over the edge when he lost his balance and fell over, landing on his feet. Fire officials say the man was exploring the area with his wife.
Fire crews loaded the man into a stretcher basket and carried him up a steep incline, then hiked 150 yards to reach an ambulance. Maui Fire Services Chief Edward Taomoto said bystanders also aided emergency crews with carrying the man out of the streambed.
The area where the man fell was about 150 yards beyond a washed out bridge on Nāhiku Road.
The fire department’s Air-1 helicopter could not be used to extricate the victim because of thick tree cover that made it too hazardous.
Paramedics transported the man to the Hāna Airport where a helicopter medevac picked the man up and took him to Maui Memorial Medical Center in serious but stable condition at 5:35 p.m.
The male victim is from Woods Cross, UT.