Excessive Heat — New River Mesa, Arizona

2022-09-05 · New River Mesa, Arizona

Event narrative

In the early afternoon, 6 hikers 4 miles in on Spur Cross Trail became lost, ran out of water, and their phones died. After finally getting word out, first responders were able to rescue the hikers and airlift them to a hospital. One hiker did not survive. A Scottsdale Fire Captain said the individual died due to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner listed the primary cause of death as dehydration and heat exposure. Temperatures in the early afternoon were around 103-105 degrees.

Wider weather episode

Strong high pressure over the region resulted in extreme temperatures. An Excessive Heat Warning conditions were met in the Phoenix area from the 4th through the 7th for temperatures reaching upwards of 105-110 degrees. In the Cave Creek area, a group of 6 hikers ran out of water and were overcome by the heat on the 5th. One of the hikers ended up passing away due to the heat.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1059055. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.