Hiker Miraculously Survives 3-Day Ordeal After Dramatic 1,000-Foot Plunge on Hawaii Trail
A California hiker's incredible survival and rescue after a 1,000-foot fall in Hawaii's Nuuanu trail is nothing short of a miraculous feat
A Californian hiker who fell approximately 1,000 feet down a trail in Hawaii described his rescue as a "miracle" after surviving for three days before being located. "I never imagined that a day of hiking would turn out like this," Ian Snyder said during a news conference on Tuesday, expressing his gratitude to the rescuers who saved his life.
On December 4, Snyder, 34, fell from the Koʻolau Summit Trail near the Pali Notches Trail while hiking alone, as reported by the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii. It wasn't until December 7 that Honolulu first responders found him near the base of a waterfall.
Snyder explained that on the day he disappeared, the trail's peak was especially steep, and the hike only grew more perilous as he kept going. "I was in great shape and could handle things well," he noted during the press conference.
"I looked down at Pali Highway and thought, 'Wow, that's a long way down and I need to get there,' and that became my plan," the hiker recalled.
Snyder, father to two sons and a daughter, couldn't recall when he fell on the trail.
"When I regained consciousness, I had no recollection of what had occurred or how much time had passed," Snyder stated. "I was completely out of it, I couldn't even remember if it was day or night when I first came to."
He recalled being chilly when he woke up, and being located near a stream, he said.
Jim Lutter received medical treatment from ambulance medics and a doctor communicating via video system 140 miles away after being gored by a bison.
Physicians provide long-distance assistance to rural medics treating man gored by bison via video call. Snyder, with a broken arm, recounted dragging himself to seek shelter and staying hydrated with stream water over his three days lost.
As he hunkered down and time passed, Snyder said he made his peace with God.
"I wanted to live, so I wasnt giving up the will to live," he said.
On December 7, the Honolulu Fire Department was contacted by the Honolulu Police Department to aid in the search for a missing person, according to Honolulu fire captain Adrian Carvalho. Carvalho stated that based on the last known location of Snyder's phone, officials concluded that it was in the vicinity of the Ko'olau Summit Trail near the Pali Notches Trail.
"To get that information was very critical," Carvalho said.
On the day of his rescue, Snyder said he woke up and heard aircraft "going very low" nearby.
Snyder remarked, "That's really close, it's like they're searching for me." Carvalho reported that rescue personnel flying in the area saw the missing hiker near the base of a waterfall before bringing him to safety by airlift.
The fire captain expressed astonishment as he described how Snyder waved his hands to signal for help. Rescuers also observed Snyder's injured arm, swollen right eye, chest trauma, and puncture wounds on his legs.
"My hope is in a few weeks, Ill be back to mostly normal," Snyder said.
