Hiker tells friends he’s ‘hot, tired and thirsty.’ Then he collapses, CA rescuers say
A man hiking with friends died after collapsing on a California trail, according to a fire department.
The 27-year-old was trekking the El Capitan Trail in Lakeside with three others on April 30, Jeremy Davis, a spokesperson for the Lakeside Fire Protection District, told McClatchy news in a phone interview.
He told “his friends that he was feeling hot, tired and thirsty before he collapsed,” Davis said.
After the man fell unconscious, his friends called 911 and followed a dispatcher’s CPR instructions until first responders arrived, according to Davis.
Upon arrival, first responders continued CPR for 30 minutes before declaring the man dead on scene, Davis said.
The man, who has not yet been identified, likely died from a “heat injury,” Davis said.
El Capital Trail, which has “little shade along the way,” is “considered strenuous and can easily take up to 6 hours to complete,” according to the County of San Diego Parks and Recreation.
Lakeside had cloudy skies with a high of 72 degrees on April 30, according to The Weather Channel.
Davis advised others to not be “fooled just because it’s a cloudy day.”
“You need to stay hydrated if you’re gonna go out for a hike,” Davis said. “If you’re not hydrated, you’re running the risk of a heat injury illness.”
Annually, the fire department gets between three to six distressed hiker calls from the El Capitan Trail, according to Davis.
Those, though, are typically for “physical bodily injuries,” like a hurt ankle, Davis said.
“But to have a death on the trail, that is kind of unheard of,” Davis said. “That’s outside the norm.”
Lakeside is about 20 miles northeast of San Diego.
This story was originally published May 1, 2023 at 2:54 PM with the headline "Hiker tells friends he’s ‘hot, tired and thirsty.’ Then he collapses, CA rescuers say."
