A hiker who went missing on a trail near Phoenix was found dead after suffering from an apparent heat-related illness as excessive temperatures continue to bake Arizona.
Jessica Lindstrom, 34, a mother of four who worked as a registered nurse in Oregon, was visiting family in the area last week when she vanished, friends told news outlets.
Ms Lindstrom went on a hike at the Deem Hills Recreation Area around 8.30am on Friday, Phoenix Police Department said. She never returned.
It was around 11.30am when Ms Lindstrom was reported missing and just hours later, around 5pm, the woman’s body was discovered near 51st Avenue and Happy Valley Road, just yards away from the trail.
Police said her death isn’t considered suspicious. The cause of death will later be determined by the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner.
However, Phoenix Fire officials say they are investigating Ms Lindstrom’s incident as a heat-related death as an excessive heat warning remained in effect through the weekend.
Temperatures hit a high of 114 degrees in Phoenix on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
Jessica Lindstrom, 34, was hiking in north Phoenix on Friday, but never returned. Her body was found that evening— (Phoenix Police Department)
“Our thoughts and prayers and our hearts go out to her family and everyone struggling with this tragedy right now,” Captain Kimberly Ragsdale with the Phoenix Fire Department said.
“Right now, the cause of death is still under investigation. It is safe to say that we just want to remind everybody right now during this heat just be very mindful of the times you’re hiking and to take every safety precaution you can while hiking.”
Ms Lindstrom’s father spoke with KTVK at the scene on Friday and told them his daughter was energetic, strong-willed, and a great mom to her four little boys.
A GoFundMe has been created to help with funeral expenses for Ms Lindstrom.
The news of her death comes as another missing mother was found dead along a hiking trail in Maryland on Monday.
Rachel Morin, 37, went missing on her way to the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air at around 6pm on Saturday evening, according to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.
The mother-of-five failed to return home that night and her boyfriend reported her missing.
On Sunday morning, Morin’s vehicle was found in the parking lot at the entrance to the popular walking route.
Hours later, at around 1pm that afternoon, a member of the public discovered a woman’s body close to the trail.
Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler announced at a Sunday night press conference that a homicide investigation is now under way.
While investigators believe the body belongs to Morin, they are awaiting official confirmation from the medical examiner’s office on the identity as well as cause and manner of death.
The sheriff said that police currently have no suspects on their radar and, as a result, cannot tell the public that there is no ongoing danger.
Morin’s devastated sister confirmed her sibling’s death on Facebook and revealed a GoFundMe has been launched to help the family with funeral expenses.
