French Tourist Dies Walking Death Valley's 116-Degree Heat
French Tourist Dies Walking Death Valley's 116-Degree Heat
The News
A 68-year-old French tourist, Pierre Michel Formosa, died in Death Valley National Park after his vehicle became stuck in mud on a remote road and he tried to walk out in 116-degree heat, the National Park Service said.
Formosa and a travel companion, also from France, were on West Side Road when their vehicle got stuck near Queen of Sheba Mine Road, officials said.
With no other vehicles in the area, the two men started walking across the salt flats toward Badwater Road to find help. Formosa could not continue after about 1.3 miles and stopped while his companion kept going.
Timeline
Temperatures in the park reach 116 degrees. The men's vehicle becomes stuck in mud on West Side Road near Queen of Sheba Mine Road, and they set out on foot across the salt flats.
Formosa's companion flags down a passing motorist and reports the emergency at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center.
National Park Service rangers and an Inyo County deputy launch a search and rescue operation.
A California Highway Patrol helicopter spots Formosa about a mile and a half from Badwater Road. He is pronounced dead at the scene.
The National Park Service issues its news release on the death.
Reactions
"Our deepest condolences are with the family and friends of the visitor who died," Death Valley National Park Superintendent Mike Reynolds said in a statement. "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 said.
What's Next
The Inyo County coroner will determine Formosa's official cause and manner of death, park officials said.
Park officials are also repeating their warnings to summer visitors: cell service across the park's vast remote areas is often limited or nonexistent, which can put emergency help hours away. They urge visitors to plan routes in advance, tell someone where they are going, and carry extra water and supplies.
More
Death Valley, in southeastern California, is among the hottest places on earth. It holds the world record for air temperature — 134 degrees, set in 1913.
The stretch of park where the men became stranded is exactly the kind of terrain Reynolds described: unpaved, remote, and empty of other traffic when they needed it.
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