PHOENIX — A nine-year-old died "as a result of a heat-related medical event" Tuesday after losing consciousness while hiking on South Mountain, officials with the Phoenix Police Department said.
Police say Cortinez Logan recently moved to Phoenix from Missouri with his family.
Phoenix Fire first responders were called to South Mountain Park and Preserve just before 3 p.m. for a possible heat-related emergency. Officials said the Logan family started on the trail early Tuesday morning. Cortinez began to go "in and out of consciousness" in the afternoon hours and was airlifted to a nearby ambulance which took him to a hospital.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Un niño de 10 años murió por el calor intenso mientras realizaba senderismo al sur de Phoenix
Cortinez later died, officials said. Detectives responded to the park and the hospital to take over the investigation.
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The temperature in Phoenix was around 113 Tuesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
Popular Phoenix trails at Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak close on days with excessive heat warnings. Trails at South Mountain remained open and were open when Logan was overcome by the heat.
Phoenix Fire Captain Todd Keller said it's vital for hikers to stay off the trails between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. in the summer.
“If you have someone who hasn’t been properly hydrating, not drinking enough water, that heat can affect them within minutes," Keller said.
Keller said hikers should always carry water and a cell phone.
“When you’re halfway done with your water, you’re halfway done with your hike," Keller said. "If you start to feel any kind of dizziness or any lightheadedness, please stop, turn around, come back another day. Just because you don’t make it to the summit of the mountain, doesn’t mean it wasn’t a successful hike.”
Firefighters train for challenging rescues, but Keller said each call puts their team at risk.
“Our firefighters are the best-trained rescuers in the world. They know it’s coming but the heat does affect them. That’s why we always say that if you’re going to go up the mountain, you’re putting yourself in danger and you’re putting our rescuers in danger," Keller said.
Editor's note: Police previously said the boy was 10, but his family confirmed that he was nine, which has been updated in the article.
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