By Hawaii 24/7 Staff

Fire/rescue crews responded to a 7:59 p.m. alarm Sunday (Jan 13) near the 33 mile marker of Highway 190 in Hamakua to rescue two injured people trapped in a steep gulch under a bridge.

Crews found a 27 year-old woman and a 42 year-old man who had slipped and fallen down into the gulch under the bridge. The woman had fallen 30 feet and had serious injuries while the man had fallen 60 feet sustaining life threatening injuries. The injuries from the fall prevented them from getting out of the gulch. Bystanders called 911 to summon rescue crews.

Rescue crews used ropes to extract both the man and woman from the gulch to the highway. Both were transported via ambulances to North Hawaii Community Hospital. The man was in critical condition while the woman was transported in serious condition.

The cause was determined to be an accidental slip and fall into the gulch.