PHOENIX — A group of women hiking Echo Canyon's trails Thursday morning to tape a reality series required assistance from the Phoenix Fire Department and some of them ended up going to the hospital.
Phoenix fire says eight people needed assistance getting off the trail, three of whom were transported to the hospital for heat-related illnesses.
The hiking group included up to 11 people from out of state. They started walking the trail at about 7 a.m. with not much water or other supplies.
Some of the hikers told 12 News they had flown to Phoenix to do some activities for a reality series called "Bad Girls Gone God."
They described the show as a faith-based series highlighting health and wellness by having participants complete physical activities. The hikers said they believe a divine spirit was on their side during Thursday's rescue.
"I'm just grateful, God is so good. God was definitely with us," one of the hikers said.
Kristin Livingston, another hiker, said the hike was intended to be a "spiritual" challenge but the group was not aware of how strenuous Echo Canyon's trails can be for hikers.
"We definitely didn't realize just how intense it was," Livingston said.
This is a developing story and updates will be published as they become available.
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VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Excursionistas fueron rescatados en Echo Canyon mientras filmaban un reality show llamado 'Bad Girls Gone God'
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What is the Valley?
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
Mesa
Chandler
Scottsdale
Tempe
Glendale
Surprise
Peoria
Gilbert
El Mirage
Avondale
Litchfield Park
Goodyear
Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?:
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.