Two hikers were rescued near the Indio Badlands trail on Thursday, March 12, as temperatures in the area reached well over 90 degrees that afternoon.
First responders responded to a report just before 3 p.m. regarding two hikers who felt unwell and had limited water a mile outside of the Indio Badlands trail west of Dillon Road, according to a social media post from Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department.
A Rescue 9 helicopter was requested to hoist the hikers to a designated landing zone in the area. Both hikers declined further medical care or transportation to a hospital.
The backcountry rescue occurred as temperatures approached 100 degrees in the area that afternoon, while a prolonged and potentially historic heat wave is expected to bring triple-digit heat through next week. In Indio, temperatures could reach as high as 108 degrees in the middle of next week, according to a forecast from the National Weather Service.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Two hikers rescued near Indio Badlands trail amid high temperatures
Reporting by Tom Coulter, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
