On August 12 at 6:30 p.m., PCSO received an emergency call from a 71-year-old man at the Peralta Trailhead in the Superstition Wilderness area reporting his 65-year-old wife had passed out on the trail.
He reported to have left her about 3/4 of a mile from the trailhead. When he left her to go get help, she was awake and breathing, but in distress.
The PCSO Search and Rescue teams arrived at the trailhead with Apache Junction Fire District personnel and hiked up the trail to the victim. They found her unconscious and not breathing.
The rescue crews initiated emergency life-saving efforts, but the victim never recovered and was pronounced dead on-scene.
The couple were experienced hikers and had been hiking for about 10 hours when the female passed out. They are visiting from Los Angeles, Ca.
PCSO is investigating the death and the medical examiner will determine the exact cause of death at a later date. No foul play is suspected.
Sheriff Paul Babeu commented on the recent emergency rescue calls in Pinal County. “This is a tragic ending to what was intended to be a beautiful mountain hike. Quite frankly, this was preventable and we urge visitors and residents to pay attention to the extreme weather warnings and know their physical limitations before undertaking any outdoor activity. I’m concerned that we have had two hikers die in the past month in Pinal County, and our SAR Teams have rescued many more people in crisis. Our SAR Teams are well trained and able to respond to emergency calls for help, but we prefer to not go on these calls in the first place. Everyone, no matter how good of shape they think they are in, has to know their limitations and pay attention to the heat and extreme weather conditions.”
Please visit the Pinal County Search and Rescue homepage for tips on how to avoid outdoor emergencies and safely enjoy scenic Pinal County.