One Hiker Dead on Arizona Mountain Trail
Superstition Mountains, The Wave Cave Trail, Pinal County, Arizona (an hour east of downtown Phoenix, AZ). Mother’s Day, May 11, 2025
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Phoenix:
- Issues a warning of moderate risks due to heat, 10 degrees higher than average for the same time of the year, making it one of the hottest days of 2025.
- There will be breezy conditions in metro Phoenix with gusts up to 25 to 30 miles per hour through May 13. Morning temperatures were also unseasonably warm on May 11, reaching 77° degrees in Phoenix, 81° in Scottsdale and 75° in Casa Grande.
- National Weather Service (NWS) in Phoenix said on May 11, “We're in store for an unseasonably hot Mother's Day today as afternoon temperatures top out in the triple digits across the lower deserts and 90s across the higher terrain. Be sure to stay hydrated and cool today!” Residents across the Valley faced unseasonably hot temperatures past the 100-degree threshold.
Emergency Request:
Around 12:45 p.m. Pinal County Sheriff’s Office received a distress call from a group of five hikers. The group started the hike early in the morning, around 6 a.m., as they had been on the trail for six hours, and many of them were experiencing heat-related issues. The group of hikers said they also ran out of water. They were 0.75 miles away from the trailhead, and one person was able to get to the trailhead for help.
A 33-year-old man, Noah Farabaugh, was unresponsive and was administered CPR by a bystander before medical crews arrived. Farabaugh reportedly had a seizure and went into cardiac arrest before falling unconscious. Firefighters continued multiple rounds of CPR on Farabaugh. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The other four hikers were assisted down the mountain and refused transportation to the hospital.
Superstition Fire & Medical District battalion chief of training Daniel Elliott: “By the time you feel dehydrated on the trail, you’re already behind in rehydrating yourself. Chugging fluids right before your hike won’t cut it, either. You really want to pre-hydrate several days in advance. And then also, heat acclimation. Maybe don’t start off with such a long hike. Get outdoors a little bit and have progression."
Sources: 12News - Jolyn Hannah; Arizona Republic - Helen Rummel; AZFamily - Casey Torres, Lauren Kobley and Tianna Morimoto.
