Hiker found 'beyond resuscitative measures' on South Mountain
Dead body found on South Mountain
A man was found "obviously dead," on a trail on South Mountain. FOX 10's Andrew Christiansen has the latest following the recovery.
PHOENIX - A hiker was found "beyond resuscitative measures" on Saturday evening.
What we know:
Phoenix Police said they received a call of a possible dead body near National Trail at around 5:12 p.m. Rescue crews with the Phoenix Fire Department responded to South Mountain for reports of a person not moving at around 7:15 p.m. on July 25.
A man identified as 61-year-old Richard Fletcher, was found "obviously deceased," after officers searched the area. According to Phoenix Fire, "rescuers were able to hike to the patient who was unfortunately beyond resuscitative measures."
No immediate signs of foul play or signs of trauma were reported.
The backstory:
Police received a call regarding a missing person that evening near Central Avenue and Los Lomitas Drive. The caller said Fletcher left to go hiking that morning around 5 a.m. and never returned. They said they lost cellular contact with him around 2 p.m. when Fletcher's phone died.
Fletcher's car was found unoccupied near the trail head, located at 4500 East Pima Canyon Road. According to officers, the victim was found when a cyclist riding on the trail came across him.
Dig deeper:
The following morning, on July 26, Phoenix Air Rescue airlifted the victim from the trail. 'Due to safety concerns while operating at night, the recovery of the victim’s body was scheduled for the morning," the police department said.
Investigators said that Fletcher's condition were consistent with a heat-related or medical event.
What we don't know:
The exact cause of death remains unknown.
The Source: This information was gathered from the Phoenix Police Department and the Phoenix Fire Department.