HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-21-14 Thank you from K. Holmen - Hanakapiai rescueCherisse Zaima
From: Kauai Fire Department Public Email
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2014 12:01 PM
To: Robert Westerman; John Blalock
Cc: Debby Gatioan
Subject: FW: The Hanakapi'ia Falls Rescue 4/6- 7/2014
Another one for Commission Report
Eve Domingcil
Secretary
Kauai Fire Department
Piikoi Bldg.
4444 Rice St., Suite 315
Lihue, HI 96766
PH: (808) 241 -4975
FAX: (808) 241 -6508
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- - - -- Original Message---- -
From: Karen Holmen [ma ilto:kchol men l @gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2014 7:54 AM
To: Kauai Fire Department Public Email
Subject: The Hanakapi'ia Falls Rescue 4/6- 7/2014
To Deputy Fire Chief John Blalock and his amazing rescue team!
My boyfriend, Nino Nardecchia, and I, my son Mike Semaan and his wife Stacy, were four of the 20 (by my count) very
grateful individuals your team short - hauled off the upper Hanakapi'ia Falls Trail due to the dangerous flash flooding that
occurred Sunday, April 6th. I can't thank you all enough for the professionalism and skill exhibited throughout the entire
rescue. Your pilot Cliff Cates has to be one of the best! That ride from the upper trail to the overnight campsite and then
the next morning back to Ke'e Beach was beautifully executed. What a short -haul team team Aron and Cliff made that
day along with the spotter (don't know his name) and those on the ground (Gordon Tamura and Bryan Doo) assisting in
the rescue. I was the first to get short - hauled to the overnight campsite and was able to watch the other 7 over-
nighters come in as well. Not what I planned that day, but I was so grateful that word got back that we needed help,
and the sound of the helicopter overhead 4 hours later was THE BEST. I still can't get over the whole series of
events .... all the trips Cliff and Aron had to make, the bad weather and rain that had to be dealt with, and that your team
was back the next day to lift all the over - nighters out and back to the Ke'e parking lot. Everyone safe!! A huge MAHALO
to all of you!
Mike, Stacy, Nino and I reached the last crossing to the falls just before noon. The water was raging and too high to
cross. A couple on the other side of the crossing showed up and attempted to cross; we told them to stay put - it was
too dangerous and they backed off. Nino and I decided to head back down the trail. I told Stacy NOT to let Mike try to
cross. They stayed, we left. I was the one that heard someone (Stacy) yelling "boy in river" as Nino and I started back
down from the 4th crossing. Upon hearing "boy in water" my gut reaction was #$% &!!, how was anyone going to
surveyed this. My HR surged, my stomach ached, my body just shook. I honestly thought we would have a fatality
H
shortly. My heart sank as I saw a young boy (Zach) bouncing downstream, in and out of the boulders and water. Nino
and I yelled to him to keep his feet up in front, then lost track of him behind boulders that obstructed our view of him.
At the next turn down the trail, to our amazement, we saw the boy perched precariously on a small rock ledge. No one
will ever know how he managed to get up on the ledge; Zach didn't remember either. I say an angle helped him. As we
were trying to communicate with him, telling him to stay put and not move, a man (his father Rich) came running down
the trail, no shoes, legs bleeding, absolute terror in his face and yelling "Zach, Zach, have you seen Zach ? ? ?" My heart
was aching for him, but fortunately I was able to point across the river and show him that his son was safe, for now, no
longer in the water. The father yelled "I love you Zach" and then fell to his knees and just sobbed. All I could do that
moment was to walk over to him and give him a hug. Moments later my son came down with a little girl (Rich's 3 yr old
daughter with special needs we were to find out shortly) and gave the child to the father. Unbeknownst to Nino and I,
Mike had just pulled the father and daughter, who had slipped in the raging river just above them, out of the water with
the aid of his tripod. He convinced the the mother, daughter and friend and another couple to stay put on the falls side
of the river. Over the next 4 hours many activities took place besides trying to get word further down the trail that help
was needed fast. We agreed to have 1 -2 of us stay with Rich and his little girl and to help coach Zach to stay calm until
help came.
It didn't but their
staying certainly contributed, along with
the efforts
of the rest of us stranded on the trail, to make
what could have
been a very tragic outcome turn into one
of joy and
celebration.
N