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Rescuers spend night with stranded hikers in their 70s

Posted at 7:59 PM, Feb 14, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-14 21:59:44-05

A volunteer group of Arizona rescuers spent the night with stranded hikers in the Superstition Mountains. 

The Arizona Department of Public Safety said three people, two of them in their 70s, were suffering from exhaustion near the Flat Iron summit off Siphon Draw trail. The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office called in DPS and a volunteer rescue group, Central Arizona Mountain Rescue Association, to help. 

“We actually train in that area,” said Jesse Rutherford, a group spokesman. 

CAMRA operates as a Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office posse and Rutherford said all 30 members are EMT certified. 

Four rescuers were dropped off near the hikers by a DPS helicopter, he said, but it was too dark to safely get them out by air. 

The rescuers escorted one hiker down the trail and spent more than ten hours with the remaining two, providing them with food, water and supplies to stay warm. 

“We keep them comfortable throughout the night — keep their morale up,” Rutherford said. “It’s usually an embarrassing situation when you have to have somebody come in and help you.” 

The hikers and rescuers were airlifted out Wednesday morning. 

On average, Rutherford said each CAMRA member spends 500 hours a year on rigorous training and rescue missions. The group is seeking motivated individuals to join the team. For more information, CLICK HERE.