Following skepticism and outrage from 31-year-old Angela Tramonte‘s friends, the Office of the Medical Examiner in Maricopa County, Arizona said her July 30 hiking death was an accident. The primary cause of death was “environment heat exposure,” online records show.
The official report is not ready, authorities said. The finding tracks with what Phoenix police previously said about the death lacking signs of foul play. According to cops in Arizona, a witness–reportedly identified as an off-duty Phoenix police officer –said he and Tramonte started their hikes around 10 a.m., and they did not have any water.
Friends of Angela Tramonte say she was visiting Phoenix for the 1st time to see a guy she met on IG. They set out on a hike up Camelback Mountain Friday AM in the heat. She got tired, they split up and she was found dead hours later.
Her friends are desperate for answers.#WBZ pic.twitter.com/2uLU743YUa
— Tiffany Chan (@TiffanyChanWBZ) August 1, 2021
“The witness also told officers, during the hike Ms. Tramonte decided to head back down the trail and asked him to continue to the top to take pictures so that she could share them on her social media,” police wrote. “The pair agreed to meet later at the car.”
They never did. Fire officials said they responded at 1 p.m. for a 911 call about the missing Tramonte. They asked cops for help two hours later. Investigators finally found Tramonte off the Echo Canyon Trail near a home on the northeast side of the mountain at approximately 4:40 p.m.
“Phoenix Fire personnel responded and found her unresponsive, beyond resuscitative efforts and she was pronounced deceased,” police said. “No traumatic injuries were observed during the initial investigation or discovered during the autopsy. Ms. Tramonte’s cellular phone was located on her when she was found.”
Police said they did not find evidence of traumatic injury and said that the off-duty officer was cooperating.
Tramonte’s friends voiced skepticism, however. They said she was in Arizona to visit the man, who she met on Instagram.
“If anybody knew Angela, she wouldn’t go anywhere without a gallon of water in her hand and I heard she was found without any water,” said Melissa Buttaro, according to CBS Boston.
At least one criticized the officer for allegedly leaving Tramonte alone.
“As a cop, as a first responder, you’re supposed to help people,” Tramonte’s best friend Stacey Gerardi reportedly said. “If somebody’s walking up a mountain and you’re seeing her in distress and she’s not feeling well and she’s exhausted–Why wouldn’t you walk her back down? Why would you continue to walk back up? It doesn’t make sense.”
[Screenshot via KPNX]
