INYO COUNTY, California – A 71-year-old hiker reportedly died due to the high temperatures registered this Tuesday in Death Valley, where the thermometer reached 121ºF.
According to national park officials, the adult was hiking on the Golden Canyon Trail when he suddenly vanished outside of Baños.
Other visitors in the area called 911 from the victim’s own cell phone at about 3:40 pm on Tuesday, July 18.
The man, a native of Los Angeles, wore a hat and clothing appropriate for hiking, in addition to his backpack.
After the emergency was reported, authorities from the National Park Service (NPS) and the Inyo County Sheriff arrived to help the hiker, however, the man did not survive.
The coroner has not determined the cause of death, but rangers of the Valle de la Muerte National Park suspect that it was due to the extreme temperatures recorded.
The official temperature for that day at Furnace Creek was 121°F. “Actual temperatures inside Golden Canyon were much higher, due to the canyon walls radiating heat from the sun,” authorities said in a statement.
It would be the second galor-related death in Death Valley reported this summer. The first occurred on July 3.
The identity of the victim was not released.
Many tourists came to the park’s visitor center to take photos next to the thermometer.
