A Hawaiian woman said a 5-foot-diameter boulder slipped off a nearby hill and fell through a concrete wall into her own home, nearly getting hit. The incident was caught on video.
Caroline Sasaki, 65, of Palolo, recalled going into her living room to watch TV just before midnight on Saturday when the 5ft by 5ft rock rolled past her.
Handout (via KITV)
“All I heard was the bang as the glass shattered off the sliding door, so I backed up and I guess it went right through me,” Sasaki said.
Sasaki’s family was moving into the newly built house on the hillside and have been living there for about a week.
According to the Honolulu Police Department, the boulder appeared to have plowed through the property’s cinder block wall, hit the family’s car, rammed through a glass door, across the living room floor and into another wall before ending up in a second-story bedroom in the home House ended up house on Palolo Avenue.
A surveillance camera captured the surprising moment.
“I didn’t watch the video, but they said if I went one step further, I probably wouldn’t be here,” Sasaki said.
KITV
Due to her bad leg, Sasaki added that she walks slowly, which she thinks may have actually helped her cross the boulder’s path.
Sasaki also suspects the boulder came from excavation work taking place above her home, closer to the mountain, and said she urged city leaders to halt development.
“I’ve been afraid of this happening since they started,” Sasaki said.
After Saturday’s incident, Sasaki said she was particularly determined to halt the work. But for now, she’s grateful to be alive.
With a lump in his throat, Sasaki said, “I just want to thank my family and friends for their help. Thanks.”
HFD reported another local resident said a smaller boulder, about 2 feet by 2 feet, struck his retaining wall but did not go onto his property.
KITV4 contacted the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permits for details of the excavation work.
Dawn Takeuchi Apuna, director of the planning and permitting department, responded with the following statement:
“The adjacent property owner submitted applications to the Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) for demolition, planing and building permits for a proposed two-story detached two-family home. DPP reviewed these applications, including plans, scope of work and compliance with relevant codes and regulations. As a result of the recent rockfall event, DPP dispatched inspectors to determine if the developer had exceeded the permitted scope of work and plans and was in compliance with all codes and regulations. The investigation by DPP and the city is ongoing and is currently unable to determine any wrongdoing by the developer. It would be irresponsible and premature to point the finger at any particular party, landowner or event without knowing the full details of the incident. We will announce more details as they develop. “
“After watching the horrific video, I reached out to Ms. Sasaki today out of concern for her and to answer any questions she had. We have assured her that we will investigate and report back to her as soon as possible,” Apuna added.
District 5 councilman Calvin Say, chairman of the zoning committee, also issued a statement regarding the incident:
“I am so grateful that no one was physically injured by the boulder that crashed into the Sasaki family’s home during this weekend’s heavy rains, leaving civil engineering inspectors to investigate.” Separately, I was contacted in mid-January by a citizen of my constituency who was concerned about construction on Palolo Avenue in the same area where the boulder incident was located. My office contacted the DPP who sent an inspector to the property and found that the shotcrete wall and rockfall fence in question were on the approved plans and therefore there was no violation.