By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2026-07-29 22:41:12 | Updated at 2026-07-29 23:13:42
37 minutes ago
Oscar-winning animator Glen Keane was dramatically airlifted off an Arizona mountain Wednesday after he found himself stranded near the summit while hiking with his grandchildren in blistering heat.
The 72-year-old realized the narrow trail on Mummy Mountain had become too difficult to navigate and made the call for help amid 109F heat.
“I knew that I really needed help,” Keane told 12News.
The Phoenix Fire Department dispatched a rescue helicopter, which lifted Keane from the mountaintop and flew him to a nearby landing zone.
He declined transportation to a hospital after the rescue.
Keane, who now lives in France, later said the Valley holds a special place in his heart, recalling that he grew up scrambling across the area’s hills and mountains.
He is listed as a 1972 graduate of Phoenix’s Brophy College Preparatory.
The veteran animator is behind some of Disney’s most beloved films, with credits on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and Tarzan.
He has also been honored as a Disney Legend by the Walt Disney Archives.
Keane added an Academy Award to his resume in 2018 when he and the late Kobe Bryant won the Oscar for the animated short Dear Basketball.
The film was adapted from Bryant’s retirement poem, first published by The Players’ Tribune on Nov. 29, 2015, in which the five-time NBA champion and 18-time All-Star reflected on his lifelong love of basketball and admitted his body could no longer keep up with the game’s demands.
After reaching safety, Keane said he felt blessed that Phoenix firefighters came to his rescue.
The fire department said its crews also made it safely back down the mountain.
