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Disney titan thanks crews who rescued him from Arizona mountain in scorching heat

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A Disney animator behind classics such as “The Little Mermaid” and “Tangled” just got the opportunity to thank the first responders who saved him from a mountaintop during a hike.

About a week after the incident, Glen Keane, 72, said he was grateful for the team that made it happen.

“I think it’s the most difficult thing for somebody to say: I can’t, I need help. And I got to that point, and I was so thankful there was somebody I could call,” Keane told KPNX in Phoenix. “I’ve done a lot of animated fairytales, but this was a real life one, and I really wanted to see the crew who were responsible for that.”

Keane also presented the department with a tribute to his rescuers. It was a drawn picture of the rescue, showing all of the first responders, helicopters and reads “Our family helping your family.”

A 72-year-old hiker is airlifted during a helicopter rescue. FOX10
Illustration of a mountain rescue with a helicopter,
Illustration of a mountain rescue with a helicopter, “Our Family Helping Your Family” text, and firefighters in the background. Phoenix Fire Department
A group of hikers on a rocky mountainside preparing for a helicopter rescue.
A 72-year-old hiker is airlifted during a helicopter rescue. FOX10

“I can’t just go off into the sunset and be happy, I felt like I really needed to say thank you to what you guys did, thank you all of you,” he said.

On July 29, Keane, 72, was hiking Arizona’s Mummy Mountain with his grandchildren when he realized he needed help. That’s when a helicopter was called in. He was then lifted from the mountaintop and flown to a nearby landing zone, while his daughter and grandchildren were completely fine and safely navigated the trail back down.

“I mean I’ve animated dramatic wonderful moments at the end of ‘The Little Mermaid,’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ ‘Tarzan,’ and ‘Aladdin,’ that’s nothing compared to being the object of such self-sacrifice,” Keane told .

Glen Keane wearing a black polo shirt, glasses, and a blue baseball cap with an Arizona logo.
Glen Keane wearing a black polo shirt, glasses, and a blue baseball cap with an Arizona logo. Phoenix Fire Department
A person's finger points at a sketch of a character.
Glen is also the legendary Disney animator behind many classics like The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Tarzan. Phoenix Fire Department

The crews were ultimately able to get Keane down to safety.

“We could tell he was in a weird spot,” said Phoenix Fire Captain Patrick O’Neill. “They were only maybe 30 feet above us, usually they’re a lot higher, so our concerns there were rotor wash, wind blowing us around, we just made sure all the guys were in a safe location so nobody slipped.”

O’Neill added that his crews are used to these kinds of rescues.

Glen Keane being hoisted by a helicopter during a rescue.
Keane, a legendary Disney animator, was rescued by Phoenix and Tempe Fire crews after the heat and terrain on Mummy Mountain became too much. Phoenix Fire Department
Illustration of a helicopter rescuing a person from a mountain, with the text
Glen Keane presents fire crews with a masterpiece depicting his rescue. Phoenix Fire Department

“His rescue was no different than the ones that we do, it was just on a different mountain and a different position,” O’Neill said.

𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖/𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖

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