KEOKEA - A 49-year-old paraglider crashed into trees on the southeast flank of Haleakala on Saturday afternoon, suffering critical head injuries, according to Ryan Joslin, spokesman for the Maui County Paramedics Association.
The man was reported missing at 12:54 p.m. in the Waipoli area, and Kula firefighters were dispatched with a rescue crew from Kahului, said Fire Services Chief Lee Mainaga. The man was found on the mountainside around 4,000 feet above sea level at 2:10 p.m. by the Kahului firefighters aboard the Maui Fire Department's Air One helicopter.
Joslin said the man was airlifted to Keokea Park, where the Maui MedEvac helicopter picked him up at 2:15 p.m. and flew him in six minutes to Maui Memorial Medical Center.
