HikeArizona.COM

All too familiar statements: "experienced hiker", "they had run out of water", "made a wrong turn and got lost." The imperative to be adequately prepared, in any condition, under any circumstance, cannot be overemphasized. My thoughts go out to the family and friends.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/loc ... 536281001/

Tragic as woman was a mother of 5 kids as well as Dallas ER doc who had hiked the GC before?

Quotes from NPS appear to indicate body was found on north side of the river?

Maybe story will change but that puts her within access to the river and access to a water faucet & emergency phone at boat beach.

My guess is few SK hikers know of this spot about 1000 trail feet from the black ridge? Is it reserved specially for boaters even in case of emergency? It is not well signed and even latest quotes today from NPS say there is no drinking water between the black bridge and phantom ranch?

Anyone know why NPS does not list boat beach on any hiking docs or trail signs? Google Street view clearly shows 2 faucets, some shade, and an emergency phone?

This is damn sad...... so close to the boat beach where she could have saved herself (or been saved) by immersion in the river (safe there; no current). Also BA Creek.
With heat stroke or 'advanced' heat exhaustion, drinking fluids has little to no immediate effect (except maybe psychologically) and may even waste valuable time - immediate cooling of the body is paramount, by whatever means available.

"There is no set line that distinguishes heat exhaustion from heat stroke. If a person is suffering from a heat-related illness such as heat exhaustion, and changes in mental status occur, he or she should be considered to be suffering from heat stroke. This includes, confusion, lethargy, seizure, or coma. This is a medical emergency, and if treatment is delayed mortality can be greater than 50%." http://www.medicinenet.com/heat_exhaustion/page2.htm

Thankfully her youngin's made it safely.
R.I.P.

Is there an emergency phone at boat beach as there is no mention of this on NPS website?

What would 50F Colorado River water immersion do to someone suffering from heat stroke? harmful?

hiking_arizona wrote:Is there an emergency phone at boat beach as there is no mention of this on NPS website?

What would 50F Colorado River water immersion do to someone suffering from heat stroke? harmful?

Mayo says...
"Heatstroke treatment centers on cooling your body to a normal temperature to prevent or reduce damage to your brain and vital organs.
To do this, your doctor may take these steps:
- Immerse you in cold water. A bath of cold or ice water can quickly lower your temperature.
- Use evaporation cooling techniques. Some doctors prefer to use evaporation instead of immersion to lower your body temperature. In this technique, cool water is misted on your skin while warm air fanned over your body causes the water to evaporate, cooling the skin.
- Pack you with ice and cooling blankets. Another method is to wrap you in a special cooling blanket and apply ice packs to your groin, neck, back and armpits to lower your temperature."

Way too much verbiage by the media is wasted on 'drink water... drink water' when most all of these heat related deaths we read about in Phoenix & GC, etc. are not dehydration but heat stroke . That is, generally speaking, when the body's temperature reaches 104 & above. Obviously drinking fluids will have little to no effect on the deadly symptoms once they have developed. The media spends almost no time on helping folks understand the symptoms of heat stroke and how imperative quick thinking and immediate application of treatment are to increasing the chances of survival.
Some experts say that heat stroke patients should not drink any fluids until their body temp gets back down to about 100, as one of the symptoms of H.S. can be vomiting .
Not mentioned above by Mayo..... Chilled IV fluids are sometimes administered to aid rapid body cooling with the byproduct of hydration.