An elderly man collapsed and died after a hike in Death Valley, California, as temperatures exceeded a brutal 120 degrees Fahrenheit

21.07.2023 - 13:15 / insider.com

A 71-year-old man died after going for a hike in Death Valley, California, on Tuesday after the area received numerous extreme heat warnings, with temperatures soaring to over 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

The elderly Los Angeles man was found collapsed outside of a restroom by other tourists near the Golden Canyon trailhead, the National Park Service (NPS) said in a press release. Sporting a sun hat, hiking clothes, and a backpack, he was believed to have returned from a hike in the area, known for its labyrinth of hills and narrow canyons.

Once he was spotted, the NPS and Inyo County Sheriff's Office were called to the scene but were unable to rescue him through CPR, the press release states. As temperatures were well past 110 degrees Fahrenheit, a Mercy Air medical aid helicopter was also unable to respond to provide assistance. 

At the time of the man's death, official temperatures reached a brutal 121 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the NPS said temperatures were likely even more punishing within the Golden Canyon because of how the rocky walls radiate the heat of the sun.

The death, which park rangers believe is connected to the hot weather, came just days after the National Weather Service (NWS) issued excessive heat warnings about a heatwave that continues to hold its grip across parts of the West Coast.

On July 15, the NWS referred to it as a "sweltering and dangerous heat" and urged citizens to "practice heat safely," such as staying hydrated and avoiding strenuous outdoor activity.

The heat in Death Valley, long considered the hottest place on Earth, has been particularly punishing. 

While temperatures have yet to exceed the hottest on record — set in 1913 when heat levels soared to 134 degrees Fahrenheit, or about 56.6 degrees Celsius — they've come pretty close in recent days, The Guardian reported.

The NWS said heat levels reached 128 degrees Fahrenheit, or about 53.33 degrees Celsius, on Sunday at Furnace Creek, the Associated Press reported.

But the fascination with Death Valley's sweat-inducing temperatures has continued to attract tourists and local hikers.

Photographs taken over the past week show tourists flocking to Death Valley in droves, with some going explicitly to experience that extreme weather for themselves.

One tourist told Channel 4 News that she was visiting Death Valley for the first time because she thought it would be "a cool thing" to be there for what could be the "hottest day on Earth."

The NPS press release also said that this may very well be the second heat-related death to occur in Death Valley this summer.

On July 3, a 65-year-old man from San Diego was found dead in his car in what appeared to be another fatality connected to the extreme heat. 

As of Thursday, the