On May 13, 2017, just before 8 PM, YCSO dispatchers received a call from the sister of a 34-year-old Phoenix man. She reported that her brother was 2 hours overdue from a hike in the Sycamore Canyon wilderness north of Clarkdale. The overdue hiker left his Phoenix home early that morning intending to access Sycamore Canyon by way of the Parsons Spring Trail. Fortunately, he left a hand drawn map with instructions to family members to call for help if he had not contacted them by 6 PM that night.

The original call occurred April 24, 2017, just before 2 PM. The comments above are a synopsis from call notes by Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office dispatchers logged during a phone call from a 26-year-old female requesting help. A Sheriff’s Forest Patrol Deputy began coordinating the rescue. After some time passed due to attempts to gather accurate cell phone GPS coordinates, it was determined the stranded hiker was located on high ground in a remote area north/west of Devil’s Bridge, Sedona.

 On March 11, 2017, at approximately 1:30PM, YCSO deputies were dispatched to a section of the Verde River near Highway 260 at the end of Beaver Drive, Camp Verde, regarding a stranded kayaker. The reporting party indicated the kayaker, a 36-year-old woman from Glendale, was stuck on a rock in the middle of the river as her kayak filled with water. She reportedly could not feel her legs. Although wearing a vest, she wisely remained stationary awaiting rescue personnel while people on shore maintained visual contact and updated the YCSO dispatch center.

Hiker rescued north of Watson Lake
Prescott Fire and members of the Yavapai County Back Country Search and Rescue team bring an injured hiker out via the Flume Trail north of Watson Lake Saturday, February 25. The victim was transported via Lifeline Ambulance to Yavapai Regional Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
(Les Stukenberg/The Daily Courier)