MEDIA RELEASE

A teenager died Thursday, Oct. 29 from injuries he sustained when he fell 80 to 90 feet down Mamaewa Gulch off of Kohala Mountain Road in South Kohala, police reported.

The victim was identified as Shea Walling of a Honokaa address.

Police determined Walling slipped while attempting to climb out of the gulch at about 10 a.m., falling to the bottom of a 120-foot dried up waterfall.

A 16-year-old male hiking companion also fell and sustained cracked ribs and several scrapes. He was listed later Thursday in serious condition. A third hiker, a 19-year-old man, was not injured.

Fire Rescue personnel extracted Walling and his two male companions from the gulch.

Walling was transported to Kona Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 3:38 p.m.

Police have ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death and have classified the incident as a coroner’s inquest.

Mamaewa Gulch is located at the 4 mile marker on Route 250.

The Fire Department reported the missing hiker was found Thursday, Jan. 29. Crews returned to the trail head at first light to continue their search, assisted by a helicopter, and all units were back in station shortly after 9:30 a.m. No other information was provided.

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Fire/Rescue crews responded to a 5 p.m. alarm Wednesday, Jan 28, for a missing hiker at the trail at the end of Pearl Avenue in Mauna Loa Estates subdivision in Volcano.

It was reported that the hiker left on the trail to look for two of his dogs Tuesday morning and was supposed to return that afternoon but did not. The reporting party search the trail for the hiker but was not able to locate him.

Rescue personnel found the hiker’s car parked at the trailhead and performed survey of the area but returned due to darkness and will return at daybreak to continue the ground search. The missing hiker is an experienced hunter in the area which is heavily forested.

MEDIA RELEASE

Fire/rescue crews responded to a 2:13 a.m. Monday, Jan. 5 alarm for a 43 year-old woman who had hiked to the lava flow ocean entry and was unable to find her way back. The hiker had left the authorized lava viewing area and was 200 yards from the ocean entry when she called for help from her cellphone.

Firefighters hiked three-quarters of a mile to the hiker and made contact via flashlight more than a mile away from her. Due to darkness and the harsh terrain the hiker was told to stay put and Chopper One was dispatched with with a rescueman to retrieve her. The uninjured hiker was flown to Highway 130, examined by medics and turned over to police.

County firefighters responded at 8:24 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 27 to a 911 call from a missing 25-year-old male hiker near Akaka Falls.

The hiker was able to call for help on his cellphone stating he had wandered off the trail for 45 minutes and could not find his way out. Three fire/rescue specialists entered the area on foot experiencing heavy rains, muddy conditions, swollen rivers and zero visibility conditions.

Utilizing cellphone calls, call outs and lights rescue personnel were able to locate the hiker, who was uninjured. Firefighters were back in their quarters at 1 a.m.