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Authorities Identify MN Man Who Died Hiking In Ariz.

GOLD CANYON, Ariz. (AP) — Authorities have identified a man who died while hiking in the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix.

Pinal County Sheriff's officials say the victim was 71-year-old Robert Lewis Bitten of Cambridge, Minn. They say he also had a home in Apache Junction, Ariz.

Deputies responded to the Peralta Trailhead about 2 p.m. Tuesday after a citizen reported the man collapsed while hiking just west of the Carney Springs Trail.

Two of Bitten's friends called 911 and performed CPR on him for about 15 minutes.

Authorities say when emergency crews reached the scene, Bitten had no vital signs and appeared to have been dead for about an hour.

They say the cause of death still is under investigation pending a full autopsy.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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