A 10-year-old boy has died after suffering a “heat-related medical emergency” while hiking in Arizona on Tuesday.
Firefighters from the Phoenix, Tempe and Chandler fire departments were called to South Mountain Park and Preserve around 2 p.m. local time, according to a Phoenix Fire Department news release. Phoenix police said officers were called to the Mormon Trailhead shortly afterward.
The boy was reportedly hiking with relatives when he suffered a medical emergency.
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Firefighters, emergency medical services members and police officers reached the boy, who was about a mile further up the trail, according to Phoenix Fire and Phoenix PD. The boy was taken by helicopter from the trail to a waiting ambulance, from where he was taken to the hospital in “extremely critical condition” before passing away.
Phoenix Fire Department officials told local ABC News affiliate KNXV-TV that the boy’s family may be from out of town, but it was unclear where they were from.
Detectives with the Phoenix Police Department are currently investigating the incident. Police did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
According to a National Weather Service Phoenix post on X, temperatures in Phoenix reached a high of 115 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday, about six degrees above average.
Heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States, although most of them are preventable, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. About 1,220 people die from heat-related illnesses in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Normally, in extreme heat – that is, when temperatures and/or humidity are higher than usual – the body tries to cool itself by sweating.
If a person does not drink enough fluids, dehydration can occur. The body temperature can then rise further and mild symptoms such as sunburn, heat rash or heat cramps can occur.
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This can lead to heat exhaustion – with symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, muscle cramps, nausea and vomiting – and, if the body reaches extremely high temperatures, heat stroke.
Heat-related illnesses can affect anyone, but some populations – including the elderly, infants and young children, outdoor workers, and people of low socioeconomic status – are particularly at risk.
To reduce your risk of heat-related illness, the CDC recommends staying hydrated and staying indoors with air conditioning as much as possible. When you go outside, the CDC recommends wearing light, loose-fitting clothing.
10-year-old boy dies in Arizona after hiking in triple-digit temperatures. Originally published on abcnews.go.com