Overview
- Rescuers, who responded Saturday morning to Lookout Mountain in north Phoenix, found an adult man near the summit after he reported more than 100 stings and said he could not continue down.
- Phoenix and Glendale technical teams treated the hiker on the trail for dangerously low blood pressure with medication and IV fluids before a Firebird 10 helicopter hoisted him to the trailhead.
- An ambulance took him to a hospital in critical condition, and fire officials say he remains in critical condition with no further update on his long‑term outlook.
- The episode follows recent bee encounters in the Phoenix area, including a March 29 swarm at an Arizona State University women’s lacrosse game in Tempe that stung five people and sent one person to a hospital in stable condition.
- Fire officials note that nearly all wild bees in Arizona are Africanized honey bees, which defend hives aggressively, so they urge people to avoid scents, wear light colors, and run while shielding the head and face if bees swarm.