A group of women hiking on an Arizona mountain — reportedly for a religious reality show called “Bad Girls Gone God” — had to be rescued on Thursday, with several taken to a hospital for heat-related issues.
A total of eight people on a women’s retreat needed help getting off the Echo Canyon Trail on Camelback Mountain, the Phoenix Fire Department said in a Facebook post. Three were taken to the hospital for treatment.
According to fire officials, the group launched on their hike at around 7 a.m. without much water or other supplies.
A number of hikers told NBC affiliate KPNX of Phoenix that they had flown out to Phoenix to do activities for a reality series called “Bad Girls Gone God.” They said the show was a faith-based series focusing on health and wellness, with participants engaging in physical activities.
Kristin Livingston, one of the hikers with the group, said the hike had been intended to be a “spiritual” challenge for the group. However, she said they had underestimated how difficult hiking Echo Canyon would be.
“We definitely didn’t realize just how intense it was,” Livingston said.
The Phoenix Fire Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News.
The incident unfolded as Phoenix faces sweltering temperatures, with a high of around 108 degrees expected on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
It was also not the first time this month that Phoenix firefighters have had to rescue hikers from Echo Canyon.
Fire crews rescued three hikers from the same trail earlier this month after hearing reports of a 69-year-old man overcome by heat, according to KPNX. They were able to rescue the man, but as they made their way down the mountain, they encountered a second hiker in distress who had to be taken to a hospital for medical attention.
Crews spotted a third hiker just as they were preparing to go back to service, with the hiker asking for medical evaluation due to heat exhaustion, according to the news station.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
