Oscar-winning animator Glen Keane was rescued by helicopter from an Arizona mountain on Wednesday after experiencing a sudden medical emergency while hiking.
Keane, 72, told 12 News he had been hiking with his grandchildren on Mummy Mountain when the trail became increasingly narrow and difficult to navigate, prompting him to realize he “really needed help.”
After calling for assistance, emergency crews sent a helicopter to the mountain. According to the outlet, Keane was hoisted by rope and flown to a safe landing area.
Keane, whose celebrated animation career includes work on Disney classics such as Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid, said he “felt blessed” that Phoenix Fire Department firefighters were able to reach him during the dangerous situation.
In 2018, Keane won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for Dear Basketball, a project he created with the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant.
The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for the Phoenix Fire Department seeking further comment.
Oscar-winning animator Glen Keane, 72, was airlifted from an Arizona mountain Wednesday after a sudden medical emergency during a hike
Keane, pictured in New York City in 2017, is known for his work on Disney films including Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid
Phoenix Fire Captain Todd Keller, speaking to AZFamily, said that reports were made at around 8 a.m. of a hiker experiencing dizziness.
Keane told the outlet that as he was ‘being lifted up’ via helicopter, he had been ‘looking at all the areas that I used to climb around as a kid’ growing up in Arizona.
He added, ‘And I thought, Lord, thank you. This was just a real blessing to have that crew. And they were really risking their own lives on the edge of that narrow little ledge.’
‘I mean, it was very much just like a razor’s edge up there.’
Keller told the outlet AZFamily that hikers need to exercise caution on hot days prior to venturing out.
He said, ‘You need to do a gut check and say, “Hey listen, is it really smart for me to be out on this trail when it’s 93 degrees at seven in the morning?”
‘You’re not only putting yourself at danger, you’re also putting your firefighters and your first responders at danger.’
The fire captain added, ‘You may start your hike at seven in the morning and an hour-and-a-half later, it could be a 25-degree difference. You have to take that into account.’
Keane said he ‘felt blessed’ firefighters were able to rescue him amid the dangerous situation
The animator in 2018 won the Best Animated Short Film Academy Award for the Dear Basketball, which he had worked on with the late Kobe Bryant
Keane declined to seek medical treatment after the incident, fire officials told the outlet.
The animator told AZFamily that he had a different perspective on the situation after the scary incident.
‘If you’re bringing up your family, make sure you know that you are in safe territory and don’t count on it being the same way you saw it when you were a little kid,’ he said. ‘Things change.’
The Phoenix Fire Department put on its Facebook page a clip of the daring rescue, saying ‘This morning #PHXFire Technical Rescue Teams safely airlifted a hiker off the summit of Mummy Mountain.’
The department continued, ‘The complex technical hoist operation is an example why our members train for these situations.’
‘Despite the extreme temperatures and unique terrain, the patient was safely extracted from a dangerous position on the mountain. Remember: take a hike, do it right.’
