Hiker rescued from Arizona trail returns next day — and needs to be rescued again
BY Herschel Smith
2 years, 9 months ago
A hiker was so determined to reach the top of Arizona’s highest peak that one rescue wouldn’t stop him from returning the next day to try again.
The 28-year-old Brooklyn, New York, man set out to hike Humphreys Trail to reach the state’s highest peak on Wednesday, March 2.
He did all the research on YouTube and AllTrails, a popular hiking website, before starting the hike, The Daily Sun reported. The information the hiker found said it was possible to reach the summit in two or three hours, so he started his hike at about 2:30 p.m., according to the news outlet.
However, on the way up the hiker became lost. He had to call 911 for help, Coconino County Sheriff’s deputies told The Associated Press.
“It was very easy to get off the trail and fall into the snow,” the hiker, identified by The Daily Sun as Phillip Vasto, told the news outlet.
As rescuers set out to help the man, he found the trail and began hiking downhill, FOX 10 reported. However, a search and rescue crew found the man and took him to a lodge parking lot to make sure he didn’t need medical care.
The man wasn’t injured and declined medical attention, AP reported. Rescuers encouraged the hiker to wait for clearer weather and revisit the trail when the conditions are better, according to The Daily Sun.
The next day, however, the hiker set out to try again. He started his hike earlier at 9:30 a.m. and made it far into the hike, FOX 10 reported.
“I was thinking if I start early in the morning, I’ll have all the time in the world to reach the summit,” Vasto told The Daily Sun.
Then he was hit with high wind gusts and less than ideal weather.
“On his descent he got off trail and fell, causing an injury,” the sheriff’s office told FOX 10.
The man called 911 again at 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 3, AP reported. The Arizona Department of Public Safety sent a rescue helicopter to pick him up.
Apparently, it takes longer to reach the summit than three hours. But let’s assume three for the sake of argument.
It was supposed to take him three hours. So he set out at 2:30, which would have put him at the summit at 5:30, which is nearly dark.
What was he planning to do then?
He didn’t know how to navigate, he didn’t leave early enough, he got panicked and stumbled around and got injured. He didn’t come prepared to stay overnight in the bush. Apparently he didn’t have the equipment (maps, compass, GPS) to find his way there and back. He had little if any food or water I would suppose, he had no cover.
Don’t do any of those things.
Always prepare for “less than ideal” weather or other conditions. Always prepare like you intend to spend the night in the bush. Or one or two more nights than you had planned.
On March 10, 2022 at 3:12 am, Aesop said:
No “Ten Essentials”? So he didn’t do all the research. So much for MSN’s level of accuracy.
SAR should stop subsidizing failure.
All 9-1-1 calls should inform the caller that a rescue will be mounted — in 24 hours.
That will let Darwin’s Razor eliminate recidivism, because they’ll either find someone a day later who needs rescuing, or recover the body of someone not worth the trouble.
On March 10, 2022 at 7:55 am, Bill Buppert said:
Brooklyn is all you need to know.
Liberals and government supremacists pride themselves on their lack of self sufficiency, it is a core belief system.
On March 10, 2022 at 9:55 am, Grumpy said:
Bill, you beat me to it. Brooklyn is all you need to know.
For several years I lived in New Mexico adjacent to the Leopold Wilderness . Great hiking before the fire that scarred it and rendered many of the trails unusable.
Anyway, every few months there would be another thigh slapper of some city dude (often from Dallas, Houston, El Paso or Austin) who got lost and had to be rescued or the body recovered. One memorable episode was some guy (El Paso I think) went for a Thanksgiving day hike off Emory Pass to Sawyers Peak (that I could see from my back portal). He was in shorts, carried minimal water, no supplies. He and his dog managed to get lost and wandered around for 6 or 7 days. That trail was then well worn and unambiguous. One would have to try to get lost. Anyway, the county and state spent countless man hours trying to find the idiot and finally tracked him down nearly dead. I have hiked that trail numerous times and still do not understand how he could have bungled it so badly.
According to the later reports he had a fancy car and clothes, big job back in TX etc.
My Dad had the perfect description for guys like him. “He’s got more dollars than sense.”
On March 10, 2022 at 10:18 am, Bradlley A Graham said:
Been on that trail multiple times in all weather. It’s not a walk in the park but it is no harder that South Kaibab or Bright Angel.
This imbecile was already lost before he took his first step.
On March 10, 2022 at 11:35 am, Frank Clarke said:
I love that line: “…no harder that South Kaibab or Bright Angel…”
At 78 with 8 stents, too many pounds, and arthritis, either of those would be the last thing I did with my legs. I’m talking about going down; going up is different.
On March 10, 2022 at 11:52 am, IA Brooks said:
When I was a boy, two of my uncles climbed Mt Adams (in Washington State) within the daylight hours of a summer’s day. To do this, they carried little more than a pair of water-bottles and a few candy bars between them. It was a minor feat, but as my father pointed out, a sudden storm would have left them as pillars of ice, a warning to future would-be fools.
On March 10, 2022 at 3:17 pm, Georgiaboy61 said:
Can’t fix stupid, and some people are determined to win a Darwin Award…. that’s it, plain and simple.
On March 10, 2022 at 8:08 pm, Jimmy said:
Years ago, before modern electronics, I suggested that any rescue would be proceeded by a helicopter lowering a charge card printer/reader, you know, the old “chunk – chunk” kind down a rope. Let the fool pay for his rescue.
Nowadays, I just think we should quit rescuing people. Period. Let his friends, who he should have left his information with, rescue him.
On March 11, 2022 at 7:59 am, Ned said:
People get rescued often while hiking in AZ – even from urban mountains.
But twice in a row? Probably wears this as a badge of honor.