Boy, 10, in critical condition after rescue from Arizona hiking trail amid extreme heat
A 10-year-old boy is in critical condition in Arizona after being rescued from South Mountain, prompting officials to warn about the dangers of hiking in extreme heat, fire officials confirmed to Fox News Digital.
According to Phoenix Fire Capt. Shaun DuBois, crews were called around 2 p.m. local time on Tuesday to the Mormon Trailhead on South Mountain, a centrally located mountain range in south Phoenix.
Authorities said that a boy was experiencing heat-related issues while hiking along the trail.
"Early reports suggest [the child] was out here with some relatives who may have been [visiting] from out of town, and they may have been hiking on the trail anywhere from sometime around 9:30 a.m.," DuBois told FOX 10 Phoenix.
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Fire officials said that they found the boy about a mile up the trail, and he was airlifted down the mountain before being transported to the hospital.
Footage obtained by FOX 10 showed a helicopter airlifting the child from the trail.
Firefighters say reports indicate the boy was on the trail for several hours, possibly since mid-morning before crews were called.
The child's identity and extent of injuries has not been released by law enforcement.
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The heat-related incident comes as Arizona — and the majority of the U.S. — has been impacted by sweltering high heat levels.
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According to officials from the National Weather Service, Phoenix is experiencing a "severe weather alert" for high heat.
The high reached 113 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday, which is 6 degrees above average.
Phoenix officials are urging both residents and visitors to be aware of the level of difficulty some trails on South Mountain present.
"Some of these trails on South Mountain are pretty difficult. They're pretty long, and if you're an inexperienced hiker potentially from out of town, you may not be aware of the level of difficulty or how difficult they are," DuBois said.