Publication Date July 23, 2016 | Associated Press

Boy, 12, dies after hike during triple-digit temperatures in Phoenix

United States
A view of Phoenix, where the boy fell ill. Photo: Matt York / AP
A view of Phoenix, where the boy fell ill. Photo: Matt York / AP

A 12-year-old boy has died after going out hiking in north Phoenix amid triple-digit temperatures.

Phoenix police said the boy was hiking with an adult male on Friday afternoon in the Sonoran Desert Preserve when he became ill. Firefighters responded, and the boy was airlifted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital in extremely critical condition.

The boy was later pronounced dead. Detectives have begun a death investigation in the area where the man and boy were hiking. The boy’s identity was not released.

According to the National Weather Service, Phoenix reached 100F (38C) by 10 am on Friday and hit a high of 112F (44.4C) just after 5.30pm.

This summer that has yielded several heat-related deaths across Arizona, as extreme temperatures have affected much of the American midwest, west and south.

On Saturday, similarly soaring temperatures in California contributed to the spread of a number of dangerous wildfires. Last month was the warmest June on record in the US