Hiker rescued from closed Phoenix trail

PHOENIX — A hiker was rescued this evening from a trail that is closed after rain and erosion led to significant damage, according to a city official at Camelback Mountain.

RELATED: Loose boulders, erosion shuts down access to popular hiking trail in Phoenix

Rescue teams responded to the Echo Canyon Trailhead at Camelback Mountain around 6:30 p.m. for reports of an injured hiker, the Phoenix Fire Department said.

The crews found a man who told them he had been hiking down the mountain when he slipped, injuring his back. 

Firefighters used a big wheel to safely take the man off the mountain. He was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition.

The Echo Canyon trail is closed right now. Phoenix has experienced a significant amount of rainfall this month, but the extra precipitation has caused some erosion at Camelback Mountain, and some boulders are at risk of falling.

The rainfall washed away sections of sand and gravel that were holding some boulders in place. The city’s parks department is now working with contractors to evaluate the boulders, which may need to be blasted away.

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