View Full Version : 3 hiker fatalities in AZ this week
Just this week in AZ we have had 3 day hikers die.
One was a British tourist who was hiking in a popular 'park' called Camelback Mtn right inside of Phoenix. This is the 2nd or 3rd fatality at Camelback this year and the norm is for at least that many. Rescues happen there all the time. The heat was bothering her and she wanted to rest and her companions (including her husband) went ahead.
The other two were a 63 year old grandfather and his 12 year old grandson who decided to day hike and take pics of a historical site near Gila Bend.
All would appear to be a combination of heat and lack of water.
I hike almost every day here (13 miles today) and almost every day I see folks unprepared for the heat. It is not uncommon to see folks who actually have no water bottles at all. They think it is only a few miles so there is no need. Plenty of folks who do not wear hats to keep the sun off also.
Arizona has to be the deadliest state for hikers.
Arizona has to be the deadliest state for hikers.
Really? Hmm. That would make an interesting (a bit macabre perhaps) list. I wonder if there is a way to find out.
Sarcasm the elf
07-09-2015, 22:27
I hike almost every day here (13 miles today) and almost every day I see folks unprepared for the heat. It is not uncommon to see folks who actually have no water bottles at all. They think it is only a few miles so there is no need. Plenty of folks who do not wear hats to keep the sun off also.
I don't doubt it. Years ago, before I knew what I was doing, I headed out for a nine mile hike a park near Tucson. Since it was March I only brought a bottle of water and a snack, it turned out the temperatures were in the mid-90's and the sun was glaring the entire day. Luckily I made it through uncomfortable but otherwise fine, the experience sure taught this New Englander the importance of researching regional conditions before planning a trip.
Sarcasm the elf
07-09-2015, 22:29
Really? Hmm. That would make an interesting (a bit macabre perhaps) list. I wonder if there is a way to find out.
I would suspect that New Hampshire would be near the top of the list simply due to the easy access to the White mountains and large number of people who live within a day's drive.
Really? Hmm. That would make an interesting (a bit macabre perhaps) list. I wonder if there is a way to find out.
I have no idea, but judging by the Grand Canyon alone, I'd be willing to bet on it.
Yeah AZ and NH have a lot in common on this issue. Lots of day hikers and tourists who do not understand the local conditions. I expect that more experienced people die in NH than here though. The Whites draw a lot of folks doing extreme stuff when the weather sucks. Here is is both heat and hypothermia. But I don't think that many experienced people fall victim to that here. Though there is one very experienced guy who went missing not far from Phoenix about 5 years ago who was never found.
Our favorite search engine does not seem to helpful on national/state level statistics on hiker deaths. The chamber of commerce's probably would not like info like that just laying around. But boy do a lot of individual items pop up. The must be more than 100 deaths a year. Not counting plain old murders of which there are quite a few also.
Shutterbug
07-09-2015, 23:01
Arizona has to be the deadliest state for hikers. I would think that Washington might be in the running. The Grand Canyon has several deaths each year, but most are not hikers. If you include "climbers" in the count, Washington looses several every year. Arizona doesn't loose any in ice caves like Washington did this week.
Our favorite search engine does not seem to helpful on national/state level statistics on hiker deaths. The chamber of commerce's probably would not like info like that just laying around. But boy do a lot of individual items pop up. The must be more than 100 deaths a year. Not counting plain old murders of which there are quite a few also.
Governments/organizations hiding or covering up this type of stuff only contributes to more of it happening.
Tuckahoe
07-10-2015, 07:45
Governments/organizations hiding or covering up this type of stuff only contributes to more of it happening.
Really!? :rolleyes:
Oh in about 5 seconds it was pretty easy to find approximately 39 million participants in overnight camping, hiking and etc., and about 4000 injuries last year. The only issue is the time necessary to pull up individual cases from the varied agencies thst actually keep the records. But the information is there.
garlic08
07-10-2015, 08:04
I would think that Washington might be in the running. The Grand Canyon has several deaths each year, but most are not hikers. If you include "climbers" in the count, Washington looses several every year. Arizona doesn't loose any in ice caves like Washington did this week.
One of my first thoughts was Washington, too. Mt Rainier is a deadly magnet, as is Mt Washington in NH. Colorado loses quite a few on 14ers and to avalanches (if you include backcountry skiers). Lightning sometimes plays a part.
One of the scary things about hiking in parts of AZ is recreational gunfire. Luckily, not many fatalities from that (just lost a camper in CO to a stray bullet). It's too bad, the things that scare us seldom kill us, while the things we often take for granted like heat or tripping on a root are the killers.
For hikers, it's my best guesstimate that AZ, CA, and CO, with their combination of large land areas, abundant outdoor enthusiasts, many miles of potential hiking treks, variable weather, are the dangerous. In AZ at Grand Canyon NP alone multiple fatalities occur annually from drowning, slips, trips and falls, and heat related issues. In CA at Yosemite NP alone avgs 3-4 deaths/yr from slip, trips, and falls and from those drowning or being swept over waterfalls especially BUSY Vernal Falls. In CO one of the most outdoorsiest states, on a yr round basis, BIG on climbing/hiking/snow sports/hunting despite all the advice to get summit bids done by 1 p.m and to pace oneself on significant ascents/descents folks don't heed the advice. Zap!
Surprisingly, as much as Mt Rainier NP does experience multiple fatality avgs mostly from climbers if one examines fatalities over a 120 yr period it is Mt Kilauea at Volcano NP that is the most deadliest mountain. Mt Kilauea may not have the rushing streams and glacial dangers but it extends from the ocean to above 13k ft. experiencing everything from benches that without warning collapse into the sea, tsunamis(most don't consider that on a mountain!), highly exposed high heat and cold areas and deep forests all experienced on the same summit hike, changing variable weather limiting visibility to zero quickly sometimes accompanied by colder temps and freezing rain/snow even in summer, plenty of potential for slips, trips, and falls(lava tubes, sink holes, ridges, nasty uneven loose ground, etc), and the most continually active volcano in the world where the largest deaths occur not from being swept away into a river of lava but by exhaling toxic fumes that can change direction in a heartbeat with variable wind.
Snowleopard
07-10-2015, 10:33
I don't doubt it. Years ago, before I knew what I was doing, I headed out for a nine mile hike a park near Tucson. Since it was March I only brought a bottle of water and a snack, it turned out the temperatures were in the mid-90's and the sun was glaring the entire day. Luckily I made it through uncomfortable but otherwise fine, the experience sure taught this New Englander the importance of researching regional conditions before planning a trip.
I'm also a New Englander. My first time in Tucson I went out of town and decided I would just hike cross country towards the mountain peaks and see how far I could get. The temp that day went to 100F. I was carrying one liter of water. After half an hour I decided that if I went forward they would find my bleached bones on the desert floor, so I bailed out. I found a hike up a park canyon that had water faucets along the trail. Definitely, I would need to learn a lot more about dealing with desert hiking before going out again.
The terrain was very open, with some cactus. I was very surprised that I kept going into little cactus cul de sacs, not getting lost but moving very inefficiently across the terrain. I've walked in the woods off trail in the northeast so long that I instinctively pick a route that doesn't get blocked (usually). I don't have that feel for other places.
Water Rat
07-10-2015, 10:43
Just this week in AZ we have had 3 day hikers die.
One was a British tourist who was hiking in a popular 'park' called Camelback Mtn right inside of Phoenix. This is the 2nd or 3rd fatality at Camelback this year and the norm is for at least that many. Rescues happen there all the time. The heat was bothering her and she wanted to rest and her companions (including her husband) went ahead.
The other two were a 63 year old grandfather and his 12 year old grandson who decided to day hike and take pics of a historical site near Gila Bend.
All would appear to be a combination of heat and lack of water.
I hike almost every day here (13 miles today) and almost every day I see folks unprepared for the heat. It is not uncommon to see folks who actually have no water bottles at all. They think it is only a few miles so there is no need. Plenty of folks who do not wear hats to keep the sun off also.
When I lived in Utah, I would see the same thing - People heading out for a "quick hike" without water, without sun protection. It doesn't take much to get to the point where you can't clearly think "hmmm... I am in bad shape and need to get myself out of here." Unfortunately, that is when people sit down to take a rest for a moment and that rock that they are sitting on (and has subsequently been heating up) also transfers heat into that person, increasing the danger. We lost a few people in UT due to that very thing.
Wülfgang
07-10-2015, 11:53
Arizona has to be the deadliest state for hikers.
I bet there is a list of sorts for outdoor fatalities.
I would think Colorado would be up there as well due to mountaineering, whitewater rafting, and unprepared weekend warriors attempting 14ers or getting lost. Every single year there are multiple fatalities on 14ers, many of them preventable.
I bet the Presidentials in NH have quite a bit as well due to erratic weather.