PHOENIX — Hiking can certainly be fun, but with the extreme triple-digit temperatures, authorities are alerting people to the deadly consequences the heat can have on a person.
"If you're going to come out and enjoy 220 miles of trail, start early," said Scottsdale Fire Department Captain Dave Folio. "Last weekend on a Saturday, we had three rescues alone. Two were heat exhaustion."
Captain Folio says calls for help among hikers are rising, and it has a lot to do with the harsh heat.
"And know your limitations, you've got to know your limitations," he said.
On Monday, 32-year-old Dr. Evan Dishion died, and five others were rescued after being overcome by extreme heat while hiking near Cave Creek.
Dr. Dishion recently started his first year as a neurology resident at Barrow Neurological Institute. The facility sent a statement saying in part that he was a gifted physician who was passionate about improving the lives of others.
"The problem is they ran out of water," said Folio. "A MCSO helicopter showed up, and we used them for extrication because these guys were 4.5 miles back."
Around 110 degrees, the rescue Folio says, happened during the hottest part of the day. He also says the hikers were separated in different spots and off the trail.
Medical experts, like Dr. Frank LoVecchio, says in temperatures like that, things can turn dangerous fast.
"The cases we see, once, twice a day, are people unconscious, comatose with high temperature like 106, 107, they're not talking to you," he said. "Their brain is not working well, and they get a breakdown in their body, their heart doesn't do and can lead to heart attack, their kidneys can fail."
Even for those who think they're used to heat, LoVecchio says no one is immune.
"There is some degree of acclimation, but we're not like fish where we can adapt to any temperature around us," he said.
Heat exhaustion and stroke can happen to anyone of any age. It's also preventable, which is why experts say if you choose to hike:
- Start early and end early
- Wear good shoes and light clothes
- Drink water the night before, at least 3-4 bottles
- Bring more water than you think you need
- And if you find your water is half gone, turn around and go back to the trailhead
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