Animator Glen Keene Rescued from Arizona Mountain

Glen Keene, the Oscar-winning animator, experienced a dramatic incident on Wednesday when he became stranded near the peak of Mummy Mountain while hiking with his grandchildren. The sweltering heat, reaching 109°F, made the narrow trails particularly challenging for the 72-year-old.

“I knew I really needed help,” Keene shared with a news outlet.

The Phoenix Fire Department promptly dispatched a rescue helicopter, which successfully airlifted Keene from the mountaintop to a nearby safe location.

Interestingly, after being rescued, he opted out of hospital care.

Now residing in France, Keene reflected on the valley, expressing nostalgia for his childhood spent exploring the area’s hills and mountains.

He is a 1972 alumnus of Brophy College Preparatory School in Phoenix and has an impressive animation career. Keene has contributed to many celebrated Disney films, including “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” and “Tarzan.” His work has not gone unnoticed; he has been honored as a Disney Legend.

In 2018, he garnered an Academy Award for the animated short “Dear Basketball,” a collaboration with the late Kobe Bryant. The film was inspired by Bryant’s retirement poem, where he reminisced about his deep passion for the sport while acknowledging that his body could no longer cope with its demands.

After the incident, Keene expressed gratitude towards the Phoenix firefighters for their assistance. The fire department confirmed that all team members descended the mountain safely.