A 60-year-old woman was rescued from a remote trail in Kokee State Park on Monday evening, April 8th, 2025, after injuring her ankle while hiking.
The Kauai Fire Department received the call just after 5:25 p.m. and sent firefighters from the Waimea Fire Station to the scene. When Truck 7 personnel arrived, they found the injured hiker about a half mile into the Ditch Trail, a narrow path known for its steep and muddy conditions. Firefighters treated her injured ankle and secured her in a SKED stretcher, which is specially designed for tough terrain.
Because the trail was slippery and steep, firefighters used special rope equipment called an Aztek system to help pull the stretcher safely along the trail. After reaching the trailhead, the woman chose to go to the hospital in her personal vehicle.
Kauai’s Ditch Trail, also known as the Poomau Canyon Ditch Trail, is lesser-known than some of the island’s other trails. The trailhead, about halfway down the Mohihi Camp 10 Road to the Sugi Grove Campsite, is not clearly marked and is difficult to find. Once on the trail, hikers navigate a lush and uneven trail to the big reveal, a narrow hill with a jaw dropping view of Poomau Canyon.
Vegetation masks unstable ground on parts of Kauai’s Ditch Trail.
A sign near the start of the trail warns of a Hazardous Cliff – “the ground may break off without warning and you could be seriously injured or killed.” Indeed, this is a very accurate description about the dangers facing hikers on the Ditch Trail. Due to the area’s wet environment, the ground is moist and unstable, and prone to foot injuries, especially ankle sprains. Hikers should wear proper footwear and pay special attention to the terrain when navigating this trail.
