A 56-year-old man died Sunday afternoon while hiking in Runyon Canyon Park, Los Angeles fire officials said.
The hiker was believed to be gravely ill when he collapsed on the western end of the popular hiking trail in the Hollywood Hills, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.
About a dozen hikers stopped to help the man by offering water and calling 911.
Firefighters first received call about a man going into cardiac arrest about 2:20 p.m.
Two helicopters were deployed to join ground crews who were trying to reach the man. Paramedics were hoisted down and attempted to perform CPR on the hiker, but they could not save him. The man died at the scene, the LAFD said.
Record-breaking temperatures – about 10 to 20 degrees above average – may have been a factor in the death.
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“It is very hot,” said hiker Nina Jones. “It’s a really nice day, but for the weather and for the hike itself alone at that age, with no water, with no assistance, I could see why it happened.”
The coroner's office will determine the exact cause of death.
