A man in his 60s had to be rescued Monday night after suffering an apparent femur fracture while taking photos on a trail below the W.M. Keck Observatory atop Mauna Kea.
Hawaii County Fire Department officials said rescuers worked tirelessly to rescue the man despite cold temperatures and altitude sickness.
Unstable terrain gave way while the man was trying to take a photograph about a mile from the nearest trail at 12,500 feet above sea level with temperatures in the 30s, officials said today. “There was no marked trail beyond the trail head and the terrain was uneven and dangerous,” HCFD said in a news release.
At 7:26 p.m., HCFD sent four units and 17 personnel with the first unit arriving on the scene at 9:45 p.m. It took them about 30 minutes to hike a mile from the trail head to reach the man.