As Arizona sweats under the searing Memorial Day sun, with temps hitting the hundred mark, hikers are hitting the trails -- and sometimes hitting the ground hard. Valley fire departments are reporting a spike in mountain rescues as temperatures soar into triple digits. A case in point was a 34-year-old woman who had to be airlifted from Tom's Thumb trailhead in Scottsdale after falling more than 30 feet on Monday, according to 12 News.
Scottsdale's first responders, already sweating through an uptick in heat-related emergency calls, are now mourning one of their own. Captain Kory Yule, a 20-year veteran of the Scottsdale Fire Department, lost his battle with cancer on January 7, as reported by the Scottsdale Fire Department website. Yule, who dedicated his life to public safety, was honored by the department and the community for his service and legacy.
The Phoenix Fire Department is advising hikers to plan their treks for cooler times, either before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m., to avoid the sweltering heat. "It's going to sneak up on you," Phoenix Fire Department Captain Todd Keller warned in a statement to 12 News. Keller also reminded us that inadequate footwear can turn treacherous on the slick parts of the trails, increasing the risk of injury.
For those braving the climb, the fire department stresses the importance of preparedness: bring a full bottle of water, hike with a friend or at least inform someone about your trek, and make sure your cell phone is fully charged. Captain Keller adds, "If you’re not picking the right time to hike, you’re not only putting yourself in danger, you’re putting our first responders, our firefighters, our TRT members in danger, also," as per 12 News. In efforts to prevent heatstroke and other heat-related incidents, the City of Phoenix takes the precaution of closing its hiking trails to dogs at 100 degrees and to human hikers at 105 degrees or hotter.
