Man dies from heat illness in Death Valley, where high was 126 degrees, officials say
A man was found dead in Death Valley National Park from an apparent case of fatal heat illness on a 126-degree day, officials said Thursday.
The 65-year-old from San Diego, who has not been identified, was found unresponsive Monday morning with his car’s window down in a sedan without functional air conditioning, officials said.
A maintenance worker noticed the sedan about 30 yards off the roadway from North Highway and found the man after approaching it, parks officials said.
Rangers and Inyo County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene with the coroner, who pronounced the man dead, officials said.
The sedan’s tire tracks appeared to show the car ran along the shoulder and a rocky berm before coming to a stop with two flat tires, officials said.
The car was not involved in a crash, was not stuck and was operational aside from the tires.
Officials said it appears the heat illness caused the driver to leave the roadway.
The day before the man was found topped out at 126 degrees and the overnight low dipped only to 98 degrees, officials said.
This week has seen some of the hottest temperatures ever recorded across the planet.
Earth’s average temperature on Wednesday remained at an unofficial record high set the day before, the latest grim milestone in a week that has seen a series of climate-change-driven extremes.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
This story was originally published July 6, 2023 at 9:35 AM.
