Hiker rescued after getting stuck overnight on Camelback Mountain

PHOENIX – A hiker who got stuck overnight on Camelback Mountain in Phoenix was rescued Wednesday morning.

A helicopter was eventually used to airlift the man off the mountain by 9 a.m., according to ABC15.

News helicopter footage showed him getting dropped off at a landing area and wheeled on a stretcher to the Echo Canyon trailhead, where he received medical attention. He was then taken to a hospital as a precaution, according to the Phoenix Police Department.

“Once released from the hospital, the man will be provided help at a mental health facility. He will also be issued a citation by city park rangers,” Sgt. Brian Brower said in a media advisory.

The Echo Canyon Trail has been closed to the public since mid-October due to unstable boulders.

Why didn’t crews rescue man from Camelback Mountain sooner?

Crews waited for the sun to come up to start the rescue operation due to safety concerns, but they used a drone to provide the man with support through the night.

“We flew him up a cellphone so we could communicate with him. We flew him up some water, blankets and food, and we’ve been in contact with him the entire night,” Phoenix Fire Capt. DJ Lee told reporters while it was still dark Wednesday morning.

A police patrol helicopter first noticed the hiker on the “camel’s head” area of Camelback Mountain around 8 p.m. Tuesday, Lee said.

Technical rescue team members were dispatched to the iconic Phoenix landmark and found out the hiker wasn’t injured, just unable to get down. They determined it was too risky to conduct a helicopter or manual rescue in the dark.

Lee said crews had to wait until there was enough sunlight to assess the situation before deciding on the best rescue method.

“This is stuff that we train for,” he said. “We work 24-hour shifts on the fire department, so we know that this is kind of the things that we can be faced with. … They’ll have no problem doing this.”

Phoenix temperatures were in the 40s and 50s during the ordeal.

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