Hawaii
Watch rappeller rescue puppy from 25-foot deep volcanic fissure on Hawaii’s Big Island
Luckily for Misty the puppy, a dog rescuer and rappeller named Kawika Singson was able to come to her rescue in a remote part of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Watch the heroic rescue of a puppy trapped in a deep, dark crevasse
Nature Vlogger and outdoorsman, Kawika Singson, goes deep into a narrow crevasse in a remote region of Hawaii to rescue a trapped 9-month-old puppy.
Misty the puppy was in a remote are of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park when she got into a tight spot, literally.
Though it’s unclear exactly how it happened, Misty ended up at the bottom of narrow volcanic fissure that was 25 feet deep on June 9. She couldn’t get out and her owner couldn’t get down.
Luckily for Misty, a self-appointed dog rescuer and rappeller with no formal training named Kawika Singson is well-known on the Big Island. Her owner, who had heard about Singson through social media, reached out.
“There are like five volcanoes (on the island),” Singson, a former military man and avid athlete, recently told USA TODAY. “Some of these dogs, they end up wandering in large, very thin volcanic fissures − basically a crack in the ground that goes very deep.”
He added: “Not many people can actually go under.” But Singson can.
Dog rescuer drives 2 hours to Misty’s rescue
When Singson got the call about Misty’s plight, he knew he had to help. Misty’s owner did all he could to save Misty but found it impossible.
“They couldn’t even squeeze down to the crack,” Singson said. “They could hear the dog, but they could not see the dog.”
So Singson drove about two hours from where he was to the other side of the island before going into a dense forest area where Misty was trapped. When he arrived, he also could hear Misty but not see her.
“I put my lights on, and I got my ropes, and I somehow, I squeezed down into the crack, and I could see the dog down at the bottom,” Singson said. “She was about 25 feet down in the volcano and she was very anxious and looking up.”
Singson reaches bottom of crevice
Singson said that the crevice from where he entered the fissure was “extremely vertical,” and narrow.
Video that Singson took with his GoPro and shared with USA TODAY shows him rappelling slowly and squeezing down into the crevice, which appears just barely wider than Singson’s body.
When he arrives to the bottom, Misty is clearly distraught and whining. By that point she had been stuck in the crevice for about nine hours.
“She was scared,” Singson told Maui News. “Her paws were bloody cause she was trying to scratch her way out.”
Singson tried to comfort Misty as best he could, telling the Catahoula leopard dog: “Hey girl, it’s OK. It’s OK … You ready to go up, Misty?”
Singson was able to hook Misty up with a harness, and then people at the top were able to pull her to safety.
It was “pretty dramatic because it was pretty difficult getting down into it, even more difficult getting back out with the dog,” Singson said.
This was not Singson’s first dog rescue
Singson told USA TODAY that he has previously rescued at least six dogs, three of which were stuck in similar situations as Misty’s.
“Because I’ve done this several times before, I’ve learned what to bring in and not be afraid of tight spaces,” he said.
Simpson documents his adventures and rescue missions with his GoPro and Misty’s rescue was no different. The former military man is also a bit of local celebrity with his own TV show called “Everything Hawaii.”
Singson is not a formally trained rescuer. It’s something he does out of the goodness of his heart.
“I used to be in the military at one point, and I worked in construction for many years,” Singson says. “So I’m very athletic, very agile. These things, for me, they’re pretty easy … I’m not afraid to go down to try to get these dogs out.”
Misty’s owner, identified by local news outlets as a local man named Cody Gomes, told Island News that he gave Singson gas money for his long drive. Otherwise, Singson does the rescues for free.
“I told him, you know, ‘You’re very gifted and blessed because there’s not like a lot of people that would do what you do,’” Gomes told the station. “Especially out of the kindness of their heart. I had no words to explain how grateful and thankful I was.”
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X @saman_shafiq7.
Hawaii
Healthier Hawaii: How to protect your hearing; head and neck warning signs you shouldn’t ignore
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – You may have received new earbuds or headphones during the holidays. But there are a few things you keep in mind when it comes to protecting your hearing.
Dr. Ross Shockley, an otolaryngologist with Wilcox Medical Center and Kaua‘i Medical Clinic, offers the following tips for hearing, as well as head and neck health.
Head and neck cancers
Many people are not familiar with head or neck cancers. What causes it and when should someone see a doctor?
- Traditionally, head and neck cancers were mostly associated with longtime smokers and drinkers. Now, more cases are tied to human papillomavirus (HPV), even in nonsmokers and drinkers. HPV is the same virus that can lead to cervical cancer in women. It is common and can have no symptoms.
- If you have throat pain, pain when swallowing that doesn’t go away, or a mass in your neck that feels firm and isn’t moving, don’t wait. See your doctor.
- Head and neck cancers can be treated, no matter the cause, if caught early.
How to prevent hearing loss
More young adults, in their early 20s, are experiencing hearing loss. Can hearing loss be reversed?
- Hearing loss can’t be reversed. Once ringing in ears starts, that can be permanent.
- Wear appropriate hearing protection when using power tools or firing weapons.
- You can find ear protection that blocks out sound for about $15. Protection that covers the whole ear are better than earplugs.
How do you know if music or movies are too loud?
- Don’t turn anything up to the maximum.
- You want the volume to be at the lowest level where you can still hear and understand.
- If there is background noise, don’t crank up the volume all the way to fight it. Use noise-cancelling headphones or go somewhere quieter.
Dangers of cleaning your ears
You may feel the urge to clean your ears. Shockley says do less, or even nothing at all.
- Our ears clean themselves. As new skin grows, it takes wax with it out of your ear.
- When you clean your ears, you’re interrupting that natural cleaning process.
- You can also put yourself at risk for external ear infections – or make your ears itch more.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
Hawaii
Hawaii Grown: Few isle players in College Football Playoff final four | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii Island police are renewing their request for the public’s assistance in locating 82-year-old Jacquelyn Glenn of Kailua-Kona, who was reported missing by her family.
Police said she is considered endangered due to her age.
Glenn was last seen on Friday, Dec. 5, around 6:37 a.m., on the 75-200 block of Nani Kailua Dr. in Kailua-Kona.
She was wearing a peach-colored shirt, blue denim jeans, and black tennis shoes. She reportedly mentioned going to Hilo with friends, but did not say when she planned to return.
She is described as 5′6″, 125 Ibs, with curly grey hair and brown eyes.
Police ask anyone with information on the whereabouts of Jacquelyn Glenn to call the Hawaii Police Department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
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