VIDEO: A woman is in critical condition after she and other hikers experiencing heat-related symptoms were rescued from Camelback Mountain in east Phoenix on Monday. Around 11 a.m., Phoenix Fire technical rescue teams were called to the Echo Canyon Trail for reports of a hiker in distress. While en route, crews were notified of other hikers in the same group who needed help. Teams made their way up the trail and found the three hikers. Fire crews first conducted a โbig wheelโ operation to get the first patient to the base of the mountain, where an ambulance was waiting. She was rushed to a hospital in critical condition.
Rescue crews then used a โtwo-skid helicopter rescueโ with Phoenix PDโs helicopter to airlift the other two to the parking lot below. Phoenix Fire officials say another woman was taken to a hospital in stable condition, while the other hiker refused transport. Around the same time, other rescue crews made their way up the Cholla trail to help another ill hiker. That hiker was also flown to the mountain base and refused transport to the hospital. Roughly 30-40 firefighters were involved in the rescues at Camelback. At noon, the temperature at Phoenix Sky Harbor was 101 degrees. The Valley was expecting a high temperature of 109 on Monday.
