Queen Creek fire crews visit woman saved from heat

Members of the Queen Creek Fire & Medical Department recently had an emotional reunion with a woman whose life they saved in June.

On Monday, crews from QCFMD’s Engine 415, Medic 413 and Battalion 411 visited Lacey Gibson in a hospital.

On June 28, QCFMD responded to reports of a “hiker experiencing heat related illness at San Tan Mountain Regional Park. With assistance from Mesa Fire & Medical and Gilbert Fire & Rescue the individual (Gibson) was located off the trail and transported with life threatening injuries from extreme heat exposure,” according to a town of Queen Creek Facebook post.

As Gibson prepares to be released from the hospital, she and her family invited the crew members to come for a visit.

“This is truly a once in a career type experience,” shared Battalion Chief David Vilt in the post. “To work a call like Lacey’s and know the condition she was in when we last saw her, it is really miraculous that we were able to visit her and have a conversation with her. I am so proud of our crews and all of the regional support we had that day. Lacey has been on our minds and seeing her doing so well, it’s just amazing.”

Gibson hiked often and early to avoid the heat, but on June 28 something felt off to her. She called 911 and “that is the last thing she remembers before waking up in the hospital nearly two weeks later,” the post stated.

“Thank you for helping our daughter … You saved us when you saved her,” Gibson’s mother stated.