For the second time this month, a hiker has fallen to his death in Makaha Valley.

Honolulu Fire Department rescue units yesterday recovered the body of a 25-year-old man who had fallen some 200 feet late Friday afternoon while hiking with a friend.

The victim had not been officially identified last night, the Honolulu medical examiner's office said.

The fall occurred in the same general area where 1st Lt. Garland English, a decorated platoon leader stationed at Schofield Barracks, fell 400 feet to his death Jan. 10 while trying to retrieve some lost camping gear.

According to police, fire department and Emergency Services Department reports on the latest incident:

The man and a 32-year-old friend were hiking Friday when the victim slipped and fell from a ledge near the Makaha Valley Towers condominiums. The other man called 911 at about 5:45 p.m. and made his way back down the trail.

After the caller was treated for injuries, he and HFD rescue personnel hiked back to the spot where the other hiker had fallen. Rescue crews worked until the search was called off at about 10 p.m. because of darkness and poor weather.

Early yesterday morning the search resumed and rescuers in the Fire Department's Air-1 helicopter spotted the hiker's body at 6:45 a.m. near two water tanks about a quarter-mile from the condominiums, said HFD Capt. Earle Kealoha.

HFD crews brought the man out to a command post at Mauna Olu Place and EMS crews took over. The man was pronounced dead at 7:59 a.m., according to Emergency Services spokesman Bryan Cheplic. Cheplic said the man's injuries were consistent with a long fall.

Rock climbers and hikers say Hawai'i has a kind of geology that's deceptive and dangerous. Volcanic rocks and soils make for cracking, crumbling rocks, pukas on the trail and rapid erosion. Many of the trails have steep drop-offs.

Hikers are urged to use extreme caution when walking along steep ledges or other sheer natural features of the landscape.

Reach John Windrow at jwindrow@honoluluadvertiser.com.