Highlights
- Glen Keane, 72, was rescued by helicopter from Mummy Mountain in Paradise Valley on July 29, 2026.
- Keane visited Phoenix Fire Station 12 to personally thank the crews who saved him, bringing original artwork depicting his rescue.
- Phoenix and Tempe first responders were both involved in the rescue operation, multiple outlets confirmed.
- Keane considered drawing a Disney character as his gift but chose instead to illustrate the rescue itself, according to ABC15.
Glen Keane, the Academy Award-winning Disney animator behind Ariel, Beast, and Tarzan, visited Phoenix Fire Station 12 on Friday to present the crews who rescued him from Mummy Mountain with an original illustration of the rescue itself.
Keane, 72, had been hiking on the Paradise Valley peak on the morning of July 29, 2026, when he required emergency assistance. Phoenix Fire Department crews set up a hoist operation and airlifted him by helicopter off the mountain, footage shared by the department showed, as The Independent reported. Both Phoenix and Tempe first responders were involved, according to Arizona's Family.
For his thank-you gift, Keane chose something personal. He initially considered drawing one of the Disney characters he spent decades bringing to life, but settled on depicting the rescue instead, ABC15 reported.
FOX 10's Brian Webb has additional video from the station visit. 12News and People also covered the original rescue.
No further visits or events have been announced.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- Fox 10 Phoenix retrieved 08/08/2026 00:45
- Fox 10 Phoenix retrieved 08/08/2026 00:45
- the-independent.com retrieved 08/08/2026 00:45
- AZ Family (3TV/CBS5) retrieved 08/08/2026 00:45
- ABC15 Arizona retrieved 08/08/2026 00:45
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 08/08/2026 00:45. Every claim traces to a source.
