Two hikers found themselves in a perilous situation when a woman collapsed from dehydration while trekking near the Salton Sea. In a swift aerial operation last Sunday, the Riverside County Sheriff's Office of Aviation responded to the emergency. According to ABC7, Deputy Manny Romero stated, "One of the hikers, a female hiker was down, appeared to be dehydrated and they were deep in the canyon and needed some help." The couple was hiking in Painted Canyon during a time when temperatures had soared into the triple digits.

Rescue efforts did not cease there, as reported a week before the Painted Canyon incident, a couple was airlifted from the desert near Joshua Tree National Park under similar life-threatening conditions. "They end up getting 5 or 6 miles into a hike and can't get back," Cpl. Pilot Andy Rasmussen from the Aviation team told FOXLA, emphasizing the hazards of trekking unprepared in the extreme desert heat. Authorities have begun to strongly caution hikers to adequately provision themselves, specifically to pack a sufficient supply of water.

These incidents serve as stark reminders of the unforgiving nature of the Inland region's climate during the summer. Deputy Romero advised that for each hiking hour, about a liter of water is needed. The region's fire officials are also on high alert due to the risk of wildfires, exacerbated by the hot weather and abundant dry vegetation, as per ABC7.

Hiking in such conditions demands not only carrying an excess of water but also preparing for unexpected emergencies. "If you're out hiking, and you start to feel thirst, you start to feel tired, in probably 10 minutes you can be in a bad situation," said Cpl. Rasmussen in the FOXLA report. Officials urge the use of personal locator beacons in regions with unreliable cell service, notifying others about hiking plans, and, if feasible, not to hike alone.