Female Scottish Tourist Dies Hiking in Palm Springs

By City News Service, image via Shutterstock

A 56-year-old tourist died today and her 59-year- old husband was hospitalized after the couple became dehydrated while hiking on the South Lykken Trail near Palm Springs.

The couple, who were visiting from Scotland, set out about 7:30 a.m. from a trailhead near Murray Canyon and South Palm Canyon drives, Palm Springs police Lt. Mike Kovaleff said.

At 10:18 a.m., the man called 911 to say his wife had collapsed and was unconscious and that they were dehydrated and low on water. It was 98 degrees in the Palm Springs area by then.

Members of the Palm Springs Mounted Police Search and Rescue unit hiked into the area and were assisted by crews aboard a California Highway Patrol plane and county fire helicopter, Kovaleff said.

The air units spotted the hikers on the mountain trail and the woman was airlifted to a hospital, where she died. Her husband was airlifted to a waiting ambulance, then taken to a hospital in stable condition.

Their names were not immediately released.