Man Died In Death Valley As Temperature Soared Above 120 Degrees

The National Park Service said that a 71-year-old man died in Death Valley National Park on Tuesday (July 18). The man collapsed outside a restroom at Golden Canyon. Officials believe the man was hiking the trail as temperatures outside reached 121 degrees.

Visitors found the man and called 911. Park rangers arrived and performed CPR on the man. They also used an automated external defibrillator but could not revive him. Officials noted that it was too hot to call in a helicopter to airlift the man to a hospital.

"The Inyo County Coroner's Office has not yet determined the man's cause of death. However, park rangers suspect heat was a factor. The official temperature at nearby Furnace Creek was 121°F around the time of his death. Actual temperatures inside Golden Canyon were likely much higher due to canyon walls radiating the sun's heat." the National Park Service said in a press release.

While Death Valley National Park is open for hikers during the summer, officials advise hiking in the lower elevations before 10 a.m. During the day, officials recommend hiking trails in higher elevations and "sightseeing short distances from their air-conditioned cars."