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Hiker Dies At South Mountain Park

A hiker was found dead Friday afternoon at South Mountain after a search that lasted several hours. The victim was a 48-year-old woman visiting from Texas.

She was hiking with friends who turned back to their car around 9:30 a.m., on a day that would eventually reach 107 degrees.

Police said she raced ahead, saying she’d meet them at the parking lot. But when they arrived, she wasn’t there. Her body was found at 3:30 p.m., not far from the trail and a few hundred yards away from the parking lot.

Her cause of death isn’t obvious yet, but police don’t suspect foul play. Police spokesman Sergeant Jonathan Howard said his message is to always hike with a friend and keep an eye on each other.