LAS VEGAS (KVVU/Gray News) – More than 20 students were rescued by park rangers while hiking in Arizona.
The group of 28 hikers, three adults and 25 children with special needs, was hiking on April 10 near the Arizona Hot Springs and Goldstrike trails in the Lake Mead Recreational Area.
According to the National Park Service, the group was attempting to reach the Arizona Hot Springs but did not have the “adequate preparation” for the extreme heat as temperatures reached 98 degrees.
The Park Service conducted a large-scale rescue, and the group was later spotted leaving the park in a charter bus. No information was provided on the condition of the party.
The rescue comes a day after another hiker died in a suspected “heat-related incident.”
Officials have since announced a temporary closure of the Arizona Hot Springs and Goldstrike trails as temperatures are expected to exceed 100 degrees.
The trail is typically closed in the summer when temperatures are extremely high. However, rangers have observed that hikers are not yet acclimated or prepared for the unexpected spring heat wave.
The Park Service said the closure is expected to last for the next few days, and the trail would temporarily reopen if temperatures drop.
Copyright 2025 KVVU via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.