A 10-year-old boy was hospitalized in stable condition Saturday after becoming overheated while hiking with his parents on Camelback Mountain’s steep Echo Canyon Trail. Rescuers had to bring him down by stretcher as Phoenix’s summer heat turned a family outing into a technical mountain response.
Firefighters were called to the Echo Canyon Trailhead around 11 a.m. for reports of a child experiencing a medical emergency. According to KTAR News, crews located the boy on the mountain and used a specialized single-wheeled “big wheel” stretcher to wheel him down the rugged trail before he was transferred to an ambulance.
Camelback’s Heat Rescue Problem Keeps Growing
The rescue was the latest in a string of emergency responses on Camelback this year. In May, Hoodline reported that Phoenix and Tempe technical-rescue crews reached an overheated hiker on Echo Canyon, about one-quarter of the way up the mountain.
A June analysis from the City of Phoenix said firefighters had already responded to 74 mountain rescues across Camelback Mountain, Piestewa Peak and South Mountain from January 1 through May 20. The report found that 85% of patients in the reviewed May-through-September data experienced heat-related illness symptoms, while Camelback rescues increased 75% in 2025.
Why Echo Canyon Can Become Dangerous Fast
The City of Phoenix trail guide rates Camelback’s two primary routes as “Extremely Difficult,” citing steep elevation gains, uneven terrain and exposure to the elements. The city’s 2026 heat plan also calls for volunteers to staff Camelback, Piestewa Peak and South Mountain trail areas on Saturdays from May 1 through September 30, offering heat-safety information and cold water during the morning hours.
