APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. (AP) - Authorities say 44 hikers were rescued because of heat, with two flown out by helicopter after their group tried climbing a mountain trail in desert near metro Phoenix.
The Superstition Fire & Medical District said several hikers were overcome Thursday by the heat, which reached 106 degrees (41 Celsius) in nearby Apache Junction.
The district said rescue personnel and Lost Dutchman State Park rangers helped most of the hikers walk back to the park from a trail on an adjacent national forest.
State Parks spokeswoman Michelle Thompson said the hikers didn't begin their hike until 3 p.m. and they were advising against making the hike that time of day "but they insisted."
Thompson said the hikers weren't from Arizona and belonged to a fitness group. She didn't have details.
