Last Friday night around 8:30 p.m., a 6-day-old baby lamb fell off a cliff in Ninole, landing on a ledge above another 250-foot drop. Before slipping further into darkness, two community members — Nathan Foster and Louis Taasan — came to the rescue.
Armed with harnesses and flashlight helmets, they rescued the baby lamb and reunited him with his mother and siblings.
“Everybody thought they were heroes,” said Elizabeth Hines, owner of the lamb. Hines runs Kulakai Farms in Ninole which is home to 17 other sheep, several chickens, dogs and a food forest.
Hines heard the cries of the lamb’s mother, Snowball, and suspected loose soil at the edge of the cliff caused the lamb’s fall.
Hines contacted Animal Control Services, who stated they might be able to help the following morning when there was light. But instead, she settled on an unconventional decision — to reach out to two local tree-trimmers, spoken highly of by her neighbors and friends.
“They volunteered to come over and help for no money, just out of love and kindness and aloha,” said Hines.
The call was answered by Louie Taasan, owner of Trees R Us Hawaii based in Papa‘aloa, who reached out to his friend Nathan Foster, owner of Island Treescape, based in Hakalau.
“Not too many people rappel on the cliff, and she was close by,” Taasan said. “Something in her voice made me want to help.”
Together, Foster and Taasan drove out to the property with the proper equipment, ready to scale the cliffside.
“They looked really eager to try and climb down the cliff themselves,” said Foster. “So, I felt really relieved we were able to get there and help.”
The group parked cars and angled headlights to provide light.
“Once they went over the edge, it was pitch black,” Hines said.
“Nighttime definitely has different dangers involved,” said Taasan, who has been trimming trees for 20 years. “We went down about 40 feet and found the lamb stuck on a ledge.”
The duo placed the baby lamb in a small bag and ascended the cliff.
“It was a really dangerous thing they did. They more or less risked their lives trying to rescue this baby lamb,” Hines said. “It’s what Hawaii is known for. The love and aloha. I just couldn’t believe it.”
Taasan and Foster emerged from the cliffside with the baby lamb, who quickly rejoined his triplet siblings and mother, no longer crying.
When offered compensation for the rescue, both Foster and Taasan refused, saying they were just happy to help.
“That’s just the type of person I am,” Tasaan said. “When somebody needs help, I’ll help them.”
At just 6 days old, the baby lamb had yet to be named.
“But now,” Hines said. “We call him Miracle.”
Email Grant Phillips at gphillips@hawaiitribune-herald.com