Hiker trapped on cliff in blazing heat of California desert rescued by helicopter

A rescue helicopter saved a hiker, clad only in shorts, who became overwhelmed by 108-degree heat Thursday on a desert cliff near Palm Springs, firefighters say.

The man called 911 at 12:55 p.m. to report that he was stranded on a cliff after being overcome by the heat while hiking, KMIR reported.

“I’m not injured, I’ve just been in the sun, just sunburned,” the man told dispatchers, CBS News reported.

The Palm Springs Fire Department rescued the man with the help of a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department helicopter, according to a Twitter post.

A rescuer said the man was “very lucky” he still had a cell phone signal, pointing out he was wearing only shorts, CBS News reported. “The sun’s gonna cook you out here.”

On June 16, a woman died in triple-digit heat while hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail near the community of Anza in Riverside County, the Los Angeles Times reported.

On Friday, temperatures in Death Valley reached 130 degrees, which if confirmed would be the highest reliably reported temperature in history, NPR reported.

This story was originally published July 11, 2021 at 12:34 PM with the headline "Hiker trapped on cliff in blazing heat of California desert rescued by helicopter."