Man rescued after slide down Maunakea ice slope

A man in his 20s survived a 700-foot slide down an ice slope Friday on the summit of Maunakea without serious injury, but found himself unable to make it back up slope.

According to a Hawaii Fire Department statement, the man had separated from a group before taking the tumble.

The alarm was sounded at 7:08 p.m. with response from both the Army’s Pohakuloa Training Area fire Department and county fire rescuers, with the first unit arriving on scene 50 minutes later.

Rescuers used a rope system to extricate the man, who was described as in the beginning stages of hypothermia.

He was examined by PTA medics and released without further treatment.