Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Man, grandson die on hike , GILA BEND, Ariz

Man, grandson die on hike; boy likely was going for help ....GILA BEND, Ariz. (AP) — A man and his 12-year-old grandson were found dead several miles apart along a desert trail after they went hiking in central Arizona, and the boy likely died while going for help, authorities said.

The bodies of Thomas Gillespie, 63, of Tucson, and Robert Miller of Prescott Valley were discovered late Wednesday in mountains near Gila Bend, about 50 miles southwest of Phoenix, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said.

Officials are determining a cause of death, but it appeared Gillespie either died of exposure or had a medical emergency, sheriff's spokesman Chris Hegstrom said.

The boy "probably succumbed to the elements," Hegstrom said. "It's a very tragic accident."

The high temperature Wednesday in Gila Bend was 103 degrees.

Searchers found Gillespie's body about 5 miles from the trailhead where their vehicle was parked and the boy's body about 1.5 miles from the trailhead, Hegstrom said.

The boy had keys to the vehicle, but it wasn't known whether the pair had taken food and water with them, Hegstrom said. None was found with their bodies, and they didn't have a cellphone, he said.

The search began late Wednesday afternoon when a woman called authorities to say she had not heard from her father or son since Tuesday morning.

A hotel manager where the two were staying said the pair left Tuesday morning to go hiking on the Mormon Battalion Trail, Hegstrom said. Officials believe the two were going to take pictures of the path between Gila Bend and Maricopa.

The trail was the route taken by a group of volunteers recruited by the U.S. Army to go to California in 1846 during the war with Mexico.

Gillespie was a science teacher at an alternative high school for pregnant teens and teen parents. Tucson Unified School District spokeswoman Vanessa Hernandez said Gillespie was a teacher for 23 years. He was not teaching this summer. http://news.yahoo.com/authorities-bodies-2-hikers-central-arizona-103039798.html high temps and hiking ..... gst

Sad news. So sorry for the family.

Arizona is a great place to hike, but not in the desert with 100 degree temperatures. During the summer, early morning or late evenings are the only reasonable times to hike or exercise. Hiking in the Grand Canyon can also be dangerous in the summer. The daily high temperature at the bottom of the canyon at Phantom Ranch is similiar to Phoenix.

Even in that heat, even without water, one day is an awfully short time.