I joined the guided hike as the Volunteer Ranger was pointing out a Great Horned Owl nesting site several feet above our heads in the hill that shaded the wash where we stood. He had just finished explaining that the owls may have returned to the site but had left the previous year after ravens had raided their nest and eaten the entire clutch of eggs. The three older ladies, one of whom I assumed was mother to one of the other two, were the only other hikers I’d seen on the trail and as I joined the party for the last part of the trail there were some things that bothered me.

The Ranger and I were the only people carrying water. Granted, it was a mile long trail, but this is the Sonoran Desert. The sun may not feel hot and that wind may feel cool, but both are slowly leaching moisture from you as you hike, and that moisture evaporates quickly here in the desert. I stopped to drink some water as I thought about this and the fact that the Ranger and I were also the only ones wearing hats. I thought a time or two about skipping ahead of the guided hike since my aim was to get my blood moving, but something told me to be patient and stick with it. I was in the middle of a beautiful section of the park and the weather was perfect. I slowed down to enjoy it that much more, feeling very present and very alive.

It was amid the slow ascent back to the trailhead that I noticed the eldest of the three women (I’ll call her Nani) slowing and leaning over to catch her breath. By this time it had been established through casual conversation as we walked that she was hiking on her own and was unrelated to anyone else in the party. I drew alongside of her and offered her some of my water, which she took with thanks. She assured me she would be just fine and we continued our climb up the stone stairways. Something in my gut told me to continue to walk behind her and I did so until we drew up with the Ranger and the other two ladies where they had stopped to wait for us to catch up. The Ranger inquired after Nani’s condition and she reassured him, as she had me, that she was just a bit winded. We had reached a marker, a forged metal signboard, which gave us an education about antelope ground squirrels, and we stopped to rest for a moment.

When I looked over at Nani it was clear that something was very wrong. She leaned heavily on the sign and I asked her if she was lightheaded. She replied that she was and almost immediately began to sag toward me.

If you have ever had to catch a person in a faint you know how awkward it is to support their weight. I called to the rest of the party and supported Nani on the ground as best I could. She came around and tried to stand back up at once, nearly striking her head on the metal signboard in the process. I kept her supported and covered her head to keep her out of harm’s way and once she was mostly upright I called to the Ranger to see if he had anything sugary in his pack. He didn’t, but one of the other ladies did and pulled out some fruit snacks, which we gave to Nani. She ate two of them as I asked one of the women to get behind her in case of another episode, which occurred a few seconds after we were in position to catch her and ease her to the ground.

I insisted we place her in recovery position as the Ranger called for assistance and gave the proper people our location and an overview of the situation. I was concerned that Nani might aspirate if she were to become nauseous and I wanted her in the proper position so she could continue to breathe freely if that happened. Up to this point I had no idea that any of the First Aid coursework I had taken to maintain my Tattooing License had been of any practical use. It was the Ranger who asked about my training and that was when I realized what I had actually just done.

The four of us kept Nani hydrated and on the ground, shading her with jackets that had been taken off during the hike, until the first wave of help arrived. When the first responders determined that she was lucid and apparently recovered they assisted her to her feet again with the intention of helping her to walk the last few yards to the trailhead. Within seconds she dropped like a stone for the third time and then the rescue began in earnest. Oxygen was brought out and a backboard called for and arrangements were made for transport to the nearest hospital. I offered assistance if needed, stating my Red Cross certifications and then stood aside to let the professionals do their work.

As it turned out, Nani’s daughter, whom she is here in Tucson visiting, was employed at one of the hospitals and Nani asked to be transported there. I’m certain all will be well with her.

As I left my information with them, the EMT Rangers took my statement about what had occurred and thanked me for my quick response. All I could say to them was what had been going over and over in my head. If Nani were my mother, I would have wanted someone to be there for her, to stay with her to make sure she got the treatment she needed.

I just did what anyone would have done.

Didn’t I?