One Hiker Dead After Group Of Four Got Lost Without Potable Water In National Park

One hiker has been reported dead on Saturday, Aug. 27, after he became separated from a group of four hikers who had gotten lost in a national park near Lake Havasu City, Arizona and ran out of water.

The group of out-of-town hikers, whose names have been withheld from the public, consisted of two women, 63 and 27, and two men, 61 and 31. The four reportedly went on a hike through Arizona’s Sara Park, near Lake Havasu City on Friday, Aug. 26. However, the hikers were unaware of the risks of trekking the challenging trail during the heat of the day and found themselves lost in the desert, dehydrated, and out of water, the Daily Beast reported.

On Friday afternoon, Aug. 26, at around 2:30 p.m., the group of hikers called 911 saying that they were out of water, lost, and were showing signs of heat exhaustion after going for an outing in Sara Park. Following this, Lake Havasu City Fire Department requested help from the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, and search and rescue teams were sent out.

The fire officials subsequently found three hikers near the trail and rescued them. The two women were sent to a nearby hospital for treatment and the 61-year-old man was taken back to the Command Post. The man told officials that the 31-year-old man who was with them went missing after he left them to find the trailhead. He said that the missing man was already showing signs of dehydration and fatigue when he left.

Following this, rescue teams continued to search the trail system at the park from the ground and air throughout the night. Kingman and Phoenix DPS Ranger helicopters also searched the premises overhead. The missing young man was located on Saturday, Aug. 27. He was confirmed deceased and “off the marked trail system in the desert wilderness,” the New York Post reported.

The hikers told the officers that they were visiting from out of town and were unfamiliar with the difficult trails and the increased danger of hiking during the summer.

All of Sara Park’s trails are categorized as moderate to hard, however, officials warn against trekking in the desert sun.