PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A woman is fighting for her life after becoming dangerously overheated while hiking Camelback Mountain Sunday morning, Phoenix fire officials said.
Around 11 a.m., firefighters were dispatched to the Echo Canyon Trailhead after receiving reports of a hiker in distress. Crews later found a woman about halfway up the mountain.
The woman told rescuers she had become severely overheated and was unable to continue descending on her own, according to the Phoenix Fire Department.
Due to the terrain and the severity of her condition, first responders hoisted her off the mountain using the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office helicopter “Fox 1.”
Once at the trailhead, crews immediately began cold water immersion therapy after determining the woman’s core body temperature had surpassed 104 degrees Fahrenheit. She was also described as being in an altered mental state. Those are both signs of serious heat stroke.
The woman was transferred to a waiting ambulance and transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
A Phoenix hiker was airlifted off Camelback Mountain with heat stroke Sunday as temperatures are expected to top 110°F through the week.(Phoenix Fire Department)
Starting Monday, the City of Phoenix will close Camelback Mountain’s Echo Canyon and Cholla trails, along with several other popular hiking routes, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Thursday as the National Weather Service’s Extreme Heat Warning takes effect.
First Alert Weather Days have been set Monday through Friday as a strong ridge of high pressure is expected to push temperatures above 110 degrees each day.
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