Dad dies on hiking trail during family outing in 100-degree heat, Arizona cops say
An Arizona father died on a hiking trail during a family outing in triple-digit heat, Arizona deputies said.
The 69-year-old man, whose identity was not released, spent the day with family at a swimming hole in 100-degree heat Saturday, July 27, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release on X, formerly known as Twitter.
As the family hiked out of the area on Parsons Trail near Clarkdale, the man collapsed when they were a half a mile away from the trailhead, deputies said.
The man’s family tried to call 911; however, their phones had poor cell service, deputies said.
The family performed CPR on the man but to no avail, according to the sheriff’s office.
The man’s daughter called deputies at 7:30 p.m., saying “her father had died.”
Deputies said they arrived and confirmed the man had died, adding “that dehydration and high blood pressure” likely contributed to his death.
Given the remote location, deputies said search and rescue volunteers trekked out to recover the man’s body, which was transported to the medical examiner’s office.
Parsons Trail, about a 120-mile drive north from Phoenix, is nestled in the Coconino National Forest, according to the United States Forest Service.
“The hike up the Parsons Trail is a pleasant stroll along a cool, clear desert stream set in a magnificent red rock canyon,” the agency says. “The steepest part of the trail is the descent from the trailhead, dropping several hundred feet to the canyon bottom.”
This story was originally published July 30, 2024 at 1:56 PM with the headline "Dad dies on hiking trail during family outing in 100-degree heat, Arizona cops say."
