Child dies after mountain rescue operation on South Mountain

PHOENIX – Hours after a child collapsed along a hiking trail in Phoenix on July 2, police said the boy had died.

According to Phoenix Fire Capt. Shaun DuBois, crews were called to one of the South Mountain trails around 2 p.m. for a report of a minor suffering from heat-related issues. The child, identified as a 10-year-old boy, was found about a mile down the trail.

Capt. DuBois said the child was then taken off the trail and to the hospital by helicopter.

“Early reports suggest that (the child) was here with family members who may have been from out of town, and they may have been walking the trail around 9:30 a.m.,” Capt. DuBois said.

Shortly before 9 p.m., Phoenix police said the boy died at the hospital. He has not been identified.

Heat Risks When Hiking in Arizona in Summer

“As a parent, I’m saddened by what happened,” witness Mark Sakowicz said. “That’s your responsibility. I think it depends on the parents’ intentions. They want to give their child a good time and keep them away from electronic devices. As adults, we have to make good choices, and today, it’s probably not the right choice to be out in this heat.”

July 2 was a rather warm day for the Phoenix area. According to National Weather Service officials, Sky Harbor reported a morning low of 92°F, which beat the previous record of 90°F set in 2010, and nine degrees warmer than the normal low of 83°F. The high reached 113°F, six degrees above average.

Phoenix Fire urges caution when hiking.

“Some of these trails on South Mountain are pretty difficult. They’re pretty long and if you’re an inexperienced hiker, maybe coming from out of town, you might not realize how difficult they are,” Capt. DuBois said.

While there are hiking trails in the Phoenix area that close when temperatures exceed 105°F, South Mountain is not one of them.

Where the incident occurred