New York City man rescued twice in 2 days on Arizona hikes

FLAGSTAFF, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — A New York City man who needed to be rescued twice on consecutive days while hiking in a northern Arizona mountain range is urging others to pay more heed to winter weather than he did. Phillip Vasto of Brooklyn said that snow and wind make hiking up Humphreys Peak dangerous in an online post and that hikers should wait for warmer weather.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office said he first called 911 last Wednesday and said he got lost while hiking on the Humphreys Trail in the San Francisco Peaks overlooking Flagstaff. While the team was responding, Vasto said he found the trail and was going to hike downhill. The news statement didn’t name Vasto, but The Associated Press said it’s the same person. On Thursday, around 5 p.m., he called 911 again in the area of Humphrey’s Saddle, saying he needed help because he was off the trail and hurt himself.

The trail up Arizona’s highest point goes through long stretches of steep, rocky terrain. The rescue operations mounted by the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office used a ski resort’s track vehicles that travel on snow for the first rescue and a state police helicopter for the second.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.