One dead after hiking group lost in Arizona desert ran out of water

Four individuals were from out of town, sheriff’s office says

One person has died while hiking in 40c (104F) temperatures in the Arizonadesert after getting lost on a trail near Lake Havasu City, reports say.

The group, who included a 63-year-old woman, a 61-year-old man, a 31-year-old man, and a 27-year-old woman, got lost on Friday afternoon at about 2:30 pm, AZ Family reported on Sunday.

Officers from the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call from the hikers, who told 911 they were showing signs of heat exhuustation after running out of water.

Emergency responders arrived at Sara Park, about five miles southeast of Lake Havasu City, and rescued three of the four hikers – one of whom was taken to hospital for care.

The 31-year-old and fourth hiker, who the group said had gone missing while in search for the trailhead, was found dead on Saturday, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

“At that time, he was showing signs of dehydration and fatigue and was believed to be heading back to the trailhead,” the statement said. “He was located by search teams deceased, off the marked trail system in the desert wilderness.”

Officials said the group had been “out of towers” and were “unfamiliar with the increased danger of hiking in the heat of the day and the challenging trail system during the summer”.

A helicopter involved in the search for hikers near Lake Havasu City (Mohave County Sheriff’s Office / Facebook)

While temperatures in the daytime sun were thought to be forecast at 40C (104F) on Friday, all of the park’s hiking and walking trails are rated moderate to hard,according to hiking website AllTrails.com.

The sheriff’s office added that the identity of the male is being withheld until family were informed, and has not been made public. It added: “Our condolences are with his family. Please respect their privacy during this time”.

Multiple teams were involved in the search and rescue, including helicopters, hiking teams, biking teams and vehicle teams which were all deployed to Sara Park.