Following last week’s helicopter rescue of a hiker injured while hiking in Skyline Regional Park, the Buckeye Fire Department is urging residents to be prepared before visiting the wildland park.
The 8,700-acre mountain preserve at 2600 N. Watson Road in the southern White Tank Mountains provides more than 20 miles of hiking trails of varying ability levels.
With the return of seasonal temperatures, the fire department urges visitors to avoid starting a hike during midday when temperatures are at their highest.
Visitors should also ensure they have more water than they think they’ll need, have a plan for their hike and let someone know when and where they plan to hike before setting out.
Beyond water, visitors should bring sunscreen and know the signs and treatment for heat related illnesses.
Heat stroke
Here’s what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says:
Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness. It occurs when the body can no longer control its temperature: the body's temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down. When heat stroke occurs, the body temperature can rise to 106°F or higher within 10 to 15 minutes. Heat stroke can cause permanent disability or death if the person does not receive emergency treatment.
Symptoms of heat stroke include the following:
- Confusion, altered mental status, slurred speech
- Loss of consciousness (coma)
- Hot, dry skin or profuse sweating
- Seizures
- Very high body temperature
- Fatal if treatment delayed
First aid
Take the following steps to treat a worker with heat stroke:
- Call 911 for emergency medical care.
- Stay with the worker until emergency medical services arrive.
- Move the worker to a shaded, cool area and remove outer clothing.
- Cool the worker quickly, using the following methods:
- With a cold water or ice bath, if possible
- Wet the skin
- Place cold wet cloths on the skin
- Soak clothing with cool water.
- Circulate the air around the worker to speed cooling.
- Place cold wet cloths or ice on the head, neck, armpits, and groin; or soak the clothing with cool water.
Heat exhaustion
Heat exhaustion is the body's response to an excessive loss of water and salt, usually through excessive sweating.
Symptoms of heat exhaustion include the following:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Weakness
- Irritability
- Thirst
- Heavy sweating
- Elevated body temperature
- Decreased urine output
First aid
Treat a worker who has heat exhaustion by doing the following:
- Take the person to a clinic or emergency room for medical evaluation and treatment.
- Call 911 if medical care is unavailable.
- Have someone stay with the worker until help arrives.
- Remove the worker from the hot area and give liquids to drink.
- Remove unnecessary clothing, including shoes and socks.
- Cool the worker with cold compresses or have the worker wash their head, face, and neck with cold water.
- Encourage frequent sips of cool water.
