BUMBLE BEE, AZ — Yavapai County Sheriff’s Officials say rescue crews were called to multiple incidents involving hikers on New Year’s Day. One of the rescues had to be extended into the overnight hours and was completed early Friday morning.
The first rescue, also said to be the “most complex” of the day, began just before 6 p.m. Thursday near Interstate 17 and Bumble Bee Road, north of the Phoenix metro area. YCSO says a 55-year-old man reportedly fell from a ledge and suffered a serious injury to his leg.
Rescue crews and the hiker were at risk of hypothermia due to low temperatures and steady rain overnight. Flooding in the area also prevented crews from getting out of the area by ground. Weather conditions grounded aerial support repeatedly, forcing the operation to wait until Friday morning.
An Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs Blackhawk helicopter was called to help and successfully completed the rescue just before 8 a.m. Friday.
The man's condition is not currently known.
Search and rescue crews also rescued a woman in the Blue Tank Wash area of Wickenburg, who became lost around 6:20 p.m.
Around the same time, rescue crews were called to assist a man who became lost while hiking on a Sedona trail.
"The events of the last 24 hours highlight the persistence and dedication of the YCSO Forest Patrol unit, deputies, and search and rescue teams, along with our partner agencies," said Sheriff Rhodes in a news release. "From trail assists to an extraction using a military helicopter, they worked through the night in poor weather conditions to ensure every hiker made it home."
