Glen Keane, the Academy Award-winning animator renowned for his work in ‘The Little Mermaid,’ ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ and ‘Aladdin,’ was rescued by helicopter after experiencing difficulty while mountain hiking in Arizona. The 72-year-old, who was on an adventurous trip with his grandchildren, felt dizzy and could not walk without the firefighters’ support. At the top of Mummy Mountain after 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, Phoenix firefighters responded to reports of a hiker with a medical emergency.
Glen Keane gets rescued after feeling dizzy in heatwave
The fire department sent a helicopter to rescue Keane and bring him to a landing zone, per 12News. While the authorities offered to take him to the hospital, the former Disney animator declined. “I was being lifted [in the helicopter], and I was looking at all the areas that I used to climb around as a kid. And I thought, Lord, thank you. This was just a real blessing to have that crew,” Keane told AZFamily. He added, “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.” Phoenix Fire Captain Todd Keller advised that hikers should consider the dangers of hiking during extreme heatwaves. He shared with the outlet, “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?’”
Who is Glen Keane?
Glen Keane, the veteran professional, contributed to Disney’s animations for three decades with works like ‘The Little Mermaid,’ ‘The Rescuers Down Under,’ ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ ‘Aladdin,’ ‘Pocahontas,’ and ‘Tarzan.’ Moreover, he continued to work in animation after bidding goodbye to the company in 2012. In 2018, Keane received the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for ‘Dear Basketball,’ along with the late Kobe Bryant.