A 71-year-old man from Los Angeles tragically collapsed and died at a trailhead in Death Valley National Park on Tuesday as temperatures hit a sweltering 121 degrees.
According to park officials, other visitors noticed the man outside the restroom of the popular Golden Canyon hiking trail around 3:40 p.m. and immediately called 911. Despite the quick response of park rangers, who arrived within seven minutes and performed CPR while using an automated external defibrillator (AED), the man could not be revived.
The man, who was outfitted in a sunhat and hiking clothes and was carrying a backpack, is believed to have been hiking the Golden Canyon trail. While the Inyo County Coroner’s Office is yet to determine the cause of death, park rangers suspect that heat was a contributing factor.
Park officials believe this is the second heat-related death in Death Valley this summer, the first being a 65-year-old man from San Diego found dead in his vehicle on July 3.
Given the extreme heat conditions, visitors to Death Valley are advised to take precautions against heat-related illnesses. This includes staying close to air-conditioned vehicles while sightseeing, hiking in cooler mountain areas, and refraining from low elevation hikes after 10 a.m. The incident serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers of extreme heat conditions, particularly for those engaging in physical activities like hiking.