WAILUA — A pair of paragliders off Kalepa Ridge caused some people to question whether they were treed off the Wailua Golf Course, Friday afternoon. According to the Kaua‘i Fire Dept. personnel who were conducting rescue training at Nawiliwili, there
WAILUA — A pair of paragliders off Kalepa Ridge caused some people to question whether they were treed off the Wailua Golf Course, Friday afternoon.
According to the Kaua‘i Fire Dept. personnel who were conducting rescue training at Nawiliwili, there are a couple of people who take off from Kalepa Ridge and paraglide around the area near the Wailua Golf Course, but no one has heard of incidents where the paragliders met with an accident.
County officials who contacted the fire captain at the Kapa‘a Fire Station, the normal responder to incidents near the Wailua Golf Course, said there were no reports of anyone getting stuck in a tree.
Former Kaua‘i Police Chief George Freitas who was coming off a round of golf at the Wailua Golf Course said there are a couple of paragliders who frequent the area, but he hasn’t seen them around for a while.
Friday, two of them circled the Kaua‘i Community Correctional Center, taking advantage of the trades.
“I think the people might have gotten concerned because these people take a long time before taking off,” Freitas said. “It all depends on the wind and how long it takes to fill the chutes. They sit there for a long time, but they must know what they’re doing.”
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
