On Mother's Day, Sunday, May 9, 1999, at 2:30 p.m., the Honolulu Fire Department's (HFD) Fire Communication Center (FCC) received numerous telephone calls reporting a landslide at Sacred Falls State Park, Punalu'u.

This area, also referred to as Kaliuwa'a, is a popular hiking destination for both tourists and residents. The FCC dispatched Engine 15 and Tanker 15 from the Hau'ula Fire Station; Rescue 1 from the Pawa'a Fire Station; Air 1, the HFD's helicopter from the Honolulu International Airport; and Battalion 3, Battalion Chief Ken Silva and his aide, Fire Fighter 2 Dwayne Lee from the Kaneohe Fire Station at 2:30 p.m.

At 2:39 p.m. Engine 15 notified FCC that upon arrival at the entrance to the park, they observed a number of "walking wounded." Engine 15 personnel proceeded to hike in on the trail and were joined by personnel from the Ka'aawa Fire Station as well as the equipment operator of Tanker 15.

While enroute, Chief Silva called for a second alarm at 2:42 p.m. The FCC dispatched Engine 13 from the Kahuku Fire Station; Engine 37 from the Kahalu'u Fire Station and Battalion 1, Battalion Chief Craig Matthew and his aide, Fire Fighter 2 Gary Viela from the Kalihi Kai Fire Station to this mass casualty incident (MCI). Battalion Chief Ken Silva arrived on scene at 2:50 p.m. and established "Hau'ula Command" at the general public parking lot near Kamehameha Highway.

The following additional companies and resources were dispatched to this MCI: Engine 19 from the Aikahi Fire Station; Rescue 2 from the Pawa'a Fire Station; Engine 11 from the Sunset Beach Fire Station; Tanker 30 from the Moanalua Fire Station; and additional personnel from Battalions 1, 4, and 5.

The following officers from HFD's executive staff responded to this MCI: Fire Chief Attilio K. Leonardi, Deputy Fire Chief John Clark, and Assistant Chief Wayne Nojiri of Fire Operations. The Oahu Civil Defense Agency's Emergency Operations Center was activated and dispatched several field units to assist.

Aerial view taken Monday, May 10, 1999, from above Sacred Falls in Hauula, Hawaii, shows the area where eight people were killed and dozens injured in a rock slide. Rocks and earth at lower left cover some of the pool beneath the park's 90-foot falls. (AP Photo/Hawaii Dept. of Land and Natural Resources)

The narrow and winding trail to the falls is approximately three miles long and usually takes over an hour to hike. Personnel from Engine 15 reached the scene in 45 minutes reported to the FCC that a rockslide had occurred about 50 feet from the pond at the base of the waterfall and that at least 25 people were injured and that there were at least two to three fatalities.

Upon hearing the initial report from the scene, Chief Silva requested the activation of additional EMS ambulance units as well as the M.A.S.T. (military medivac) helicopter to assist. The threat of darkness and the problems associated with a night operation were factors in Chief Silva's decisions.

Engine 21 and Engine 37 arrived on scene and were sent up the trail to assist Engine 15 in rescue operations at the impact zone. Air 1 also arrived with a Rescue Specialist onboard and gave a report to Chief Silva that the impact zone was littered with the "walking wounded," non-ambulatory casualties, and numerous fatalities. Chief Silva moved his command post to the beginning of the trail to Sacred Falls which is at the end of the dirt access road and requested that officers from the Honolulu Police Department be stationed at the public parking area to prevent unauthorized vehicles from accessing the dirt road.

Chief Silva requested assistance from the American Red Cross to assist the victims, especially with mental health counseling at the scene. He requested that the EMS ambulance units triage the victims at the new site of the command post. Battalion Chief Craig Matthew arrived and was assigned to oversee the emergency medical operations at the helicopter-landing zone. Battalion Chief Silva maintained control over tactical operations. EMS District Chief Mandy Shiraki arrived on scene and assisted Chief Matthew with coordinating emergency medical operations.

EMS District Chief Shiraki requested that Oahu Transit Authority, the agency in charge of the public bus transportation for the City and County of Honolulu, provide city buses to transport victims to area hospitals. Two city buses on the circle island route were utilized to transport victims to Kahuku Hospital and Castle Medical Center. The medivac helicopter was used to transport the critically injured to the trauma centers.

Three EMS ambulance units were stationed at the command post and triaged victims that were transported on foot by HFD personnel from the impact zone. It should be noted that a number of "unsung heroes", both injured and healthy, remained at the impact zone and assisted HFD personnel in packaging the victims, doing CPR, and transporting the victims to the head of the trail. The HFD commends the actions of these "unsung heroes" without whose efforts the fatality count for the incident would have been higher.

The HFD personnel at the impact zone packaged the victims with backboards, splints, neck braces, and oxygen. Fire Fighter Mark Yeager, who is a certified EMT, triaged the victims in order to ensure that the most critical were transported first.

Air 1 was utilized to transport the critically injured from the impact zone to the landing zone at the command post where the EMS personnel reassessed their condition and turned them over to the medivac helicopters for evacuation to the trauma centers. Due to the narrow valley walls, the remoteness of the impact zone, and their size, the medivac helicopters were not able to land closer to the impact zone than at the head of the trail.

Many of the "walking wounded" were treated at the scene and left without providing any personal information. For this reason, victim accountability was a problem.

Local area hospitals treated the following:

• Kahuku Hospital: 15 injured
• The Queen's Medical Center: 7 injured (Trauma Hospital)
• Tripler Army Medical Center: 5 injured (Trauma Hospital)
• Kuakini Medical Center 3 injured
• Kapiolani Medical Center: 2 injured
• Castle Medical Center: 2 injured
  
• Total Injured: 34
• Total Fatalities: 8

Shortly before dark, Governor Benjamin Cayetano and a geologist from the Department of Land and Natural Resources toured the impact zone on Air-1.

The geologist confirmed that a rock fall had occurred and that it is a common occurrence along the Ko'olau Mountain Range. He stated that similar rock falls take place about 12 times a year, but usually occur in remote valleys and are undetected. Operations ceased at 8:00 p.m. with all companies returning to quarters. No injuries to fire fighting personnel occurred at this incident. All personnel operating at the scene received critical incident stress debriefing.

Body recovery efforts continued until the last victim, Sara Johnson, was found on Wednesday, May 12, 1999. This incident is one of the largest mass casualty incidents in the 150-year history of the Honolulu Fire Department.

For further information please call Captain Richard Soo, the HFD's Public Information Officer, at (808) 831-7759 or pager (808) 540-6807.