A woman who disappeared while paragliding with a group of people in Windward O'ahu was found safe and unhurt on the leeward side of the Ko'olau mountains above Wahiawä yesterday afternoon.

The woman, a visitor in her 20s from Wyoming, was paragliding above Kahana Valley with three other people yesterday morning when they lost track of her, said Capt. Terry Seelig, Honolulu Fire Department spokes-man. Her friends said she apparently got caught in an updraft that sent her into low-altitude clouds shortly before noon, Seelig said.

"They weren't certain what happened, if she crashed or if she landed or where she landed," Seelig said.

HFD's Air One helicopter began looking for the woman in Kahana and Punalu'u valleys, but thick clouds made the search difficult, Seelig said. About 1:30 p.m., the clouds began to lift and the search was expanded, he said.

About 3 p.m., the helicopter crew spotted the woman's parasail on the Wahiawä side of the ridge behind Hau'ula Valley, Seelig said. About 10 minutes later, the woman was seen hiking along a stream bed.

The woman was picked up by the helicopter and brought to Windward O'ahu's Swanzy Beach Park, where she was evaluated and cleared by emergency personnel. Although she was not injured, Seelig said it would have been a challenge for the woman to reach a populated area because of the rough terrain.

"She was shaken up. You can tell she realized how serious and fortunate she was that she was found and hadn't harmed herself in the process," Seelig said. "It wouldn't have been fun for her to spend the night up there walking in the mountains. She didn't have anything other than the clothes that she was wearing. We're lucky that we had that break in the clouds and found her."

Seelig said the woman is an experienced paraglider, but he said this was her first time in the Kahana Valley area.