Missing Oregon woman found dead after hiking in the heat in Phoenix
A missing hiker was found dead Friday evening in north Phoenix, Arizona, authorities said.
The remains of Oregon resident Jessica Christine Lindstrom, 34, were recovered in the Deem Hills Recreation Area following a search, according to the Phoenix Fire Department.
There is nothing suspicious about the discovery of her body, the fire department said. Lindstrom was last seen about 8:30 a.m. Friday in the area of North 51st Drive and West Deem Hills Parkway as she hiked in the area, the department said earlier in the evening.
Public records show Lindstrom was a registered nurse with ties to Peoria and had been residing in Oregon.
Phoenix Fire Department spokesman Capt. Scott Douglas said it will be up to the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner to determine a cause of death, but preliminary information suggests Lindstrom was overcome by the heat while hiking.
“Unfortunately, Ms. Lindstrom was in town from Oregon, where it doesn’t get this hot,” Douglas said to the Associated Press.
Authorities said Lindstrom, who formerly lived in the Phoenix suburb of Peoria, was a registered nurse in Oregon and was visiting family.
Maricopa County, the state’s most populous, reported Wednesday that 39 heat-associated deaths have been confirmed this year as of July 29 and another 312 deaths are under investigation.
At the same time last year, there were 42 confirmed heat-related deaths in the county and 282 were under investigation.
Contributing: The Associated Press