He had spent 30 years hiking through Arizona summers. Even that experience could not protect him from the heat. Richard Fletcher, 61, left for a hike at South Mountain around 5 a.m. on July 25. His family lost contact with him that afternoon after his phone battery died and reported him missing a few hours later. His vehicle was found near the Pima Canyon Trailhead. Later that evening, a cyclist discovered Fletcher unresponsive along the trail. Phoenix Fire crews reached him and confirmed he had passed away. Officials reported no signs of trauma or suspicious circumstances. Because the terrain was too dangerous to navigate overnight, crews waited until Sunday morning to airlift him from the mountain. Investigators said the circumstances appeared consistent with a heat-related or medical emergency. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner will determine the official cause. One month earlier, Fletcher had written publicly about hiking during extreme heat. He said he had decades of exper...