Hiker stung by bees, passes out, rescued off Phoenix’s Piestewa Peak

PHOENIX – A woman is recovering after being attacked by bees while she was hiking Piestewa Peak in Phoenix, first responders said.

Phoenix Fire Department spokesman David Ramirez said the hiker collapsed Wednesday after she was stung by the bees and had been unconscious before a technical rescue crew reached the site via airlift.

A bystander called to report the late afternoon emergency and said the woman had an EpiPen that they administered. The hiker was conscious by the time paramedics arrived at the Phoenix Mountains.

Medical personnel, who required a helicopter to reach her, evaluated the hiker and found her to be in stable condition, but she wasn’t able to make it back down the trail on her own.

She was airlifted to the parking lot, and taken to the hospital by ambulance.

Temperatures topped out at 115 degrees Wednesday for the second straight day. The Valley is in the middle of an excessive heat warning that is set to end at 8 p.m. Sunday.

The fire department said it was the third mountain rescue of the day, noting in a social media post the extreme Valley heat took a toll on personnel.

“Help us by making sure you’re drinking enough water and knowing your limitations out on our city trails during this EXTREME HEAT,” the post read.

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