Rescuers arrive just in time to save Arizona hiker who ran out of food, water !! Here is the Story and link , And A Successful SAR Operation !! gst Arizona hiker who ran out of food, water
Published June 04, 2015FoxNews.com


June 2, 2015: In this photo provided by the Arizona Department of Public Safety, a hiker who was lost and spent three days without food and water is assisted by an Arizona Department of Public Safety rescuer near Payson, Ariz. (AP)

Authorities said Wednesday that a lost hiker who spent three days in the Arizona wilderness would have died if they did not find him when they did.

"Honestly, it's one of these rescues where you say, 'This guy would be dead today,'" said Ken Twigg, a state Department of Public Safety rescue pilot. "His condition deteriorated to the point that he was unable to move."

Search and rescue crews found the 58-year-old Tucson man Tuesday morning in steep terrain about 12 miles west of the central Arizona town of Payson. He was released from a Payson hospital Wednesday, department spokesman Bart Garves said.

A Flagstaff-based Department of Public Safety helicopter spotted the man 45 minutes into the search. He was three-quarters of the way up a canyon, Twigg said. Authorities believe the man was possibly searching for a water source around vegetation at the bottom of the canyon.

The helicopter landed and paramedic Chris Hecht got out and approached the man. Hecht said he immediately noticed that the hiker was in critical condition.

"He couldn't sit up," Hecht said. "He was laying on the ground on the side of the canyon, essentially just raising his arm."

Another Phoenix-based Department of Public Safety chopper was summoned to provide a second paramedic to help extract the man by sling. The man was then flown to a command post and taken to a hospital by ambulance.

The Department of Public Safety said the man started hiking less than two weeks ago from Roosevelt Lake. He had planned a 10-day hike along the Arizona Trail, which stretches from Mexico to Utah.

He texted his wife Monday morning that he had no water or food. When she didn’t hear from him again, she called 911. The Gila County Sheriff’s Office coordinated a search.

The man told authorities he had experience doing long, solo hikes.

Twigg, who has helped in four rescues in the past several months in that area, said it was good that the man shared his hiking itinerary with his family. It was unclear what led to the man running out of crucial resources.

"You're only as good as your plan," Twigg said.

Matthew Nelson, executive director of the Arizona Trail Association, said it's uncommon to see people hike the trail south of the Grand Canyon this time of the year.

"Most people doing long-distance hikes or even day trips plan their adventures around spring and fall — not just because of weather but water availability," Nelson said. "The Arizona Trail is one of the toughest because of the lack of water resources." http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/06/04/res...ntcmp=obnetwork