Ian Snyder is a travel blogger who was hiking in Hawaii when he took a horrifying plunge, falling a gut-dropping 1,000 feet while climbing and being stranded for days in a dangerous predicament. Fortunately, however, he managed to survive, and now he’s thanking God and his rescuers for getting him out of there alive.
The incident occurred when Snyder, a 34-year-old from California, reached the peak of the famous Koolau Summit Trail in Honolulu, Hawaii. After reaching the apex of the climb, Snyder apparently took a tumble and fell 1,000 feet to the base of a waterfall, where he was stuck for three days before being rescued.
Speaking on his terrifying experience and how he managed to make it out of there in a recent news conference, Snyder first said that he was never thinking his hike could end up in such a dangerous situation for him, saying, “I never expected a day of hiking like this to go the way it did.”
Continuing, he next thanked God for letting him make it out of the situation alive, saying, “It’s a miracle, first and foremost, of God. I’m glad to be here, incredibly glad to be here and glad to be in mostly one piece. I’m incredibly grateful to all of you for the job you do each and every day.”
The Honolulu Fire Department, for its part, said, “Today, lan Snyder met the first responders who saved his life on December 7, 2023, after falling 1,000 feet from the Ko’olau Summit Thaib and then surviving the elements for the next three days. Thanks to the quick action of lan’s parents, the strong interagency coordination of @honolau-gov firstresponders, and a bit of luck, lan was spotted by Air 1 at the base of a waterfall and airlifted to safety. It is truly a miracle that lan is still with us today and soon, on his way home to California to celebrate the holiday season. Best of luck in your recovery and healing, lan!”
Similarly, Honolulu Fire Capt. Adrian Gravalho said, “To our disbelief, he was waving his hands to get our attention. We still don’t understand how to explain it.” Captain Gravalho was joined by Allen Zhang, an EMS paramedic, who said that he and his partner were “expecting the worst case scenario.” Explaining why, he said, “Falling 1,000 feet from a trail is no joke.” Zhang then added, “We ended up treating another 14 patients that shift, but as you can imagine Mr. Snyder, your call was the most memorable.”
Also joining was one of the hikers from the Oahu Hiking Community who helped look for Snyder after he went missing, Amber Fonte, who said, “I thought the best gift we could give to to the family was that we had found a body and when we had a found a whole human living and breathing and waving at the sky. It was like, ‘Merry Christmas.’”
During the press conference, Snyder and his parents also thanked the First Responders who searched for him and then rescued him after finding him by the waterfall, and Snyder noted that it was unwise to use Google to plan his route. Watch the press conference here:
Featured image credit: Honolulu Fire Department Facebook
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