Flashing phone light leads rescuers to hiker lost after dark, Hawaii officials say
A hiker who became lost after dark used a flashing light from his cellphone to lead rescuers to his location, Hawaii officials said.
The 43-year-old hiker, who had been hiking for eight hours, became lost after nightfall on Manana Ridge Trail in Pearl City on Tuesday, Jan. 2, according to a news release from the Honolulu Fire Department.
He called 911 shortly after 7 p.m., according to the fire department. As his cellphone battery had 40% life left, “it was imperative that he conserve the energy from it so his cellphone light could be used to” find him during an aerial search.
Rescuers located the man just before 8 p.m. “with the geolocation from (his) phone and him flashing his cellphone light,” the release said.
The man, who had no injuries, was taken to a nearby landing zone, the fire department said.
Manana Ridge Trail is a nearly 7-mile trail that is “generally considered a challenging route” and typically takes about three hours and 30 mins to finish, according to AllTrails.
Pearl City is about 10 miles northwest of Honolulu.
This story was originally published January 3, 2023 at 1:12 PM with the headline "Flashing phone light leads rescuers to hiker lost after dark, Hawaii officials say."
