Scottsdale Fire and Phoenix Fire crews responded to Bell Pass Trail in Scottsdale just after 7 a.m. on Oct. 17 after a report that a woman hiking there had been struck in the head by a cactus. She was taken to a trauma center for evaluation after paramedic e-bike teams reached her on steep terrain.
Bell Pass Trail in Scottsdale
The hiker was found roughly two miles from the trailhead, where crews worked in steep terrain before moving her off the trail with a Big Wheel and UTV. The response moved from scene treatment to evacuation in the same morning, with the trail location and terrain shaping how quickly help could reach her.
Scottsdale Fire Department
The Scottsdale Fire Department said the woman was treated on scene before being transported to a nearby trauma center. Officials did not disclose the events leading up to the injury or how the cactus may have fallen, leaving the exact cause of the strike unresolved.
The woman’s current condition and exact injury were not disclosed. For hikers on Bell Pass Trail, the practical takeaway is simple: a remote stretch of steep terrain can turn a short outing into a rescue that depends on specialized access, not a standard walk-out.
