Tourist dies in Death Valley National Park after becoming stranded in triple-digit heat
The vehicle became stuck in mud, facing dangerous conditions as temperatures soared into the triple digits.
FILE: Hottest Place on Earth: Exploring why tourists venture to Death Valley
FILE VIDEO: What would make someone want to travel to one of the hottest places in the country, for fun? That's what FOX Weather's Robert Ray intends to find out. More than one million people travel to the park every year.
THE TAKEAWAY
- A 68-year-old French tourist died in Death Valley National Park.
- The tourist sought help after his vehicle became stuck on a remote road.
- High temperatures reached 116 degrees.
DEATH VALLEY, Calif. – A French tourist died in Death Valley National Park on Monday after their vehicle became stuck in mud along a remote road while traveling with a companion amid extreme Mojave Desert heat.
After Pierre Michel Formosa, 68, and his travel companion, both from France, became stranded in the remote California desert, the pair began walking across the salt flats to seek help because there were no other vehicles in the area, the National Park Service said in a news release.
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Death Valley is widely recognized as the hottest air temperature location on Earth, holding an official record of 134 degrees set at Furnace Creek on July 10, 1913, though modern experts debate this reading.
(Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) / Getty Images)
With temperatures reaching 116 degrees on Aug. 17, Formosa was unable to continue just over a mile into the trek for help.
His companion continued on and eventually encountered a passing motorist, who helped him report the incident at one of the national park’s visitor centers shortly after 2 p.m.
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National Park Service rangers and local and state first responders launched a search and rescue operation shortly afterward and later located Formosa. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Inyo County coroner will determine the cause and manner of death, according to the press release.
A view of Badwater Basin, a surreal salt flat, the lowest point in North America during extreme heat wave in Death Valley National Park.
(Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images / Getty Images)
"Our deepest condolences are with the family and friends of the visitor who died," Death Valley National Park Superintendent Mike Reynolds said.
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"This is a heartbreaking reminder of how quickly conditions here can turn dangerous. Death Valley is an extraordinary place, but its heat, distances, and remoteness can be dangerous, regardless of experience. We’re grateful to everyone who took part in the search, and our thoughts are with his loved ones," Reynolds continued.