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Hiker dies after falling from Camelback Mountain By Amber McMurray The Arizona Republic-12 News Breaking News Team Mon Oct 29, 2012 9:57 PM A late-afternoon hike turned tragic Monday when a hiker was attacked by a swarm of bees and fell to his death off Camelback Mountain in Phoenix, according to fire officials. The man was with two other men on a trail between Echo Canyon and Ice Box Canyon, Phoenix fire Capt. Scott McDonald said. Bees began attacking the hikers about 3:45 p.m., and the man plunged 150 feet to his death, McDonald said. The other two men took shelter in the canyon from the bees, McDonald said. The survivors were airlifted from the mountain after each suffered more than 300 bee stings, McDonald said. Both men were taken to the hospital in serious but stable condition and are expected to fully recover, McDonald said. Authorities did not release the names and ages of the three hikers. McDonald said one of the rescuers and another hiker suffered bee stings. Some of the workers, including the rescuer who was stung, wore white protective suits. The Phoenix Police Department is investigating the incident and plans to release more information this morning. The city of Phoenix says on its website that Echo Canyon is both one of the most popular and most dangerous in the area. Other hikers in the Phoenix area have been injured in bee attacks. One man was attacked in 2008 on South Mountain after he went off the trail, officials said at the time. Another was stung in 2010 on Camelback Mountain. Both survived. The Associated Press contributed to this article. |