Episode 47: Honolulu Fire Department’s Search and Rescue team

This week, Captain Adrian Cravalho and Fire Fighter II Matt Ramsey of the Honolulu Fire Department join host Brandi Higa on the One O’ahu Podcast. Both men were involved in the rescue of Ian Snyder, the hiker who went missing for three days after falling nearly 1,000 feet near the Pali Notches trail in December 2023.

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The rescue

34-year old Ian Snyder was hiking alone near the Pali Notches trail on Dec. 4, 2023 when he took a fall. First Responders located him on Dec. 7 after they were able to ping the last known location on his cell phone. Using a helicopter, Snyder was spotted by the Honolulu Fire Department, treated, brought to the landing zone of the rescue operation, and handed over to the Honolulu Emergency Services Department.

On this week’s episode of the One O’ahu Podcast, Captain Adrian Cravalho and Fire Fighter II Matt Ramsey of the Honolulu Fire Department discuss how they found Snyder, the initial interaction with him, and tips for other hikers to avoid similar emergencies.

Teamwork

Notification that Ian Snyder was in-need of rescuing, locating him, then getting him expedient medical treatment took a tremendous amount of collaboration.

“All the City agencies work well together,” added Fire Captain Adrian Cravalho.

Cravalho goes on to explain the close coordination between the Honolulu Fire Department, the Honolulu Police Department, and the Honolulu Emergency Services Department (Emergency Medical Services) to carry out successful rescues every day in the City and County of Honolulu.

Finding your “why”

Not all rescue missions end with a success story like that of Ian Snyder. We asked both men what it was like to be a part of this remarkable rescue.

“That is an example of exactly why all of us sign up for this job,” explained Fire Fighter II Ramsey.

To learn more about the Honolulu Fire Department, its operations, hiking safety tips, and additional resources, please visit https://fire.honolulu.gov/