Phoenix hikers help man on trail who passed out: 'At least 45 minutes of chest compressions'

PHOENIX - It was a busy day for fire crews with at least two mountain rescues on Sunday afternoon.

One was in Dove Valley and the other was on Tom Thumb Trail. Both on a day approaching triple-digit heat.

A 60-year-old man was taken to the hospital by helicopter after 40 minutes of chest compressions. Another woman was taken off a trail after being located by a Phoenix Fire Drone. 

Phoenix Fire Capt. Scott Douglas says you need more than water to hike safely, especially once we hit triple digits.

"It’s very serious. Last summer, we saw hundreds of people die in the Valley of the sun from the heat. It's strong enough, unfortunately, that it takes lives," he said.

In a matter of minutes, Douglas said, the Valley sun beating down without any shade changes your situation very quickly.

"They might be going out when it's in the 70s, first thing, and then 15 to 20 degrees hotter by the time they get to the top of Camelback Mountain, for example. So, it is important that people understand that things change very quickly, that heat does kill people and it can cause a lot of damage," Douglas explained.

Phoenix hiker, Gretchen Ditto, saw the man on the trail.

"We just got done taking our selfies and somebody was talking, saying, ‘Sir, are you OK?' We looked over and there was a gentleman that had basically passed out on the ground," Ditto said.

Other hikers gave the 60-year-old man shade with what they had, immediately calling 9-1-1.

"These gals just worked for at least 45 minutes of chest compressions on the poor guy," Ditto said.

In a multi-agency effort, he was taken to the hospital by helicopter.

"You can only do so much to help somebody and, you know, people try their hardest and it's just sad," Ditto said.

Douglas says visitors and Valley regulars underestimate the heat prior to the summer months.

Hikers need to bring plenty of water, let someone not hiking with you know where you are, always have a fully charged cell phone, and don’t over do it.

"The biggest thing is to know your own personal limits. As you know your personal limits, then you're going to understand better the heat and what this climate can do to you," Douglas said.

This wasn’t the case Sunday, but Douglas stressed the importance of staying on marked trails. It’s way easier than many think to get lost, making rescue efforts much more difficult.