Hiker dies after group runs out of water halfway through Arizona hike, officials say
UPDATE: The hiker who died has been identified as Evan Dishion, 32, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in an email to McClatchy News.
The original story is below.
A hiker died after his group ran out of water halfway through their Arizona hike, media reports say.
The Scottsdale Fire Department and Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office arrived around 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 5, after receiving a call about possible heat exhaustion on Spur Cross Trailhead near Cave Creek, Fox 10 reported.
“The hikers had run out of water and had gotten lost on the trails,” the Scottsdale Fire Department said on Twitter.
One man in his 20s was taken to a hospital but died from heat exhaustion and heatstroke, CBS 5 reported. The other five hikers were expected to be OK.
Capt. Dave Folio with Scottsdale Fire said the group approached the hike correctly by starting early in the morning, KJZZ reported. Nonetheless, “they ran out of water.”
“So, when you get half way on your water we just want to remind people: Turn around, go back to the trailhead and/or call 911 if you’re having heat exhaustion or heat stroke,” Folio told the outlet.
The fire department echoed Folio’s sentiments on Twitter and urged to always have a plan, “bring plenty of water, and know how to identify heat exhaustion.”
Folio warned about Arizona’s “extreme heat,” CBS 5 reported.
“When we got out on that trail, the temperature on the asphalt alone was reading 127 off of our truck. I think it was 109 outside,” Folio told the outlet. “Have a plan, know your limitations.”
Cave Creek is about 30 miles northeast of Phoenix.
This story was originally published September 6, 2022 at 3:36 PM with the headline "Hiker dies after group runs out of water halfway through Arizona hike, officials say."
