One person died after a group of hikers reportedly ran out of water on a popular Arizona hiking trail as temperatures soared to 100 degrees on an unseasonably hot Mother’s Day.
Rescue teams responded to a group of five hikers in the Superstition Mountains near Gold Canyon, about 40 miles east of Phoenix, after receiving a call at just before 1 p.m. Sunday, officials said.
The group had been hiking for about six hours before the Supersition Fire and Medical District and the Mesa Fire Department were alerted to one person suffering a heat-related medical emergency on the Wave Cave Trail.
Officials speculated that a 33-year-old man, who has not yet been identified, had a seizure and went into cardiac arrest before falling unconscious about three-quarters of a mile away from the trailhead, according to local CBS News affiliate Arizona Family.
One person from the group reportedly made it to the trailhead and was able to flag authorities down.
According to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, fellow hikers began resuscitation efforts before first responders arrived and administered multiple rounds of CPR.
The department confirmed that the four other hikers were not injured and were assisted down the mountain.
According to an SFMD statement, they “refused transport to the hospital. ”
The group told fire crews they had run out of water, according to the local news outlet.
No foul play was suspected in the man’s death, the sheriff’s office said. The Pinal County Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death.
Officials discouraged people from returning to the area for the rest of the day.
“As temperatures climb, so does the risk. Heat illness can set in fast, even for experienced hikers,” the SFMD said.
Delaney Krieger, an avid hiker from Phoenix, said it felt “surreal” learning of the man’s death, having planned to hike the Wave Cave trail before the incident.
“It feels very surreal to think about what happened to someone today. It’s horrible. I feel so bad for him,” she said.
“The desert can be a really dangerous place, not only because of animals and plants but because of the heat, mostly.”
Temperatures reached uncharacteristic spring highs on Sunday. Due to high ozone levels, an air quality alert was also in effect throughout the day.
Fire crews urged hikers to hydrate several days in advance if they were braving the heat.
“You really want to pre-hydrate several days in advance. And then also, heat acclimation – changing temperatures,” SFMD Fire Chief Daniel Elliot said. “Maybe don’t start off with such a long hike. Get outdoors a little bit and have progression.”
