A 65-year-old man was found dead in his car in Death Valley National Park on July 3, the agency reported.
A National Park Service (NPS) maintenance worker spotted the sedan Monday about 30 meters off the North Highway. Inside was an unconscious man. according to to NPS. Parks officials and local authorities responded to the news, saying the man had died at the scene. (Related: Death Valley may have broken the record for the hottest day on Earth in the last 100 years)
Investigators believe the man died from the extreme heat that day.
A 65-year-old man was found dead from an apparent heat wave in California’s Death Valley National Park, where temperatures soared into the triple digits. Park officials said his car had two flat tires and the air conditioning system was not working. https://t.co/1VUFizejeE
— CNN (@CNN) July 6, 2023
The sedan is believed to have traveled along a rocky berm before deviating from the highway. “The vehicle did not collide, but had two punctured tires when it stopped,” NPS reported. “Early investigations suggest that heat stroke may have caused the driver to veer off the road.”
Monday’s high was 126°F and overnight low was 98°F. The vehicle was confirmed to be operational and not stuck, but the air conditioning was not working. “The driver’s window was found to be down, further indicating that the air conditioning was not working while the man was driving.”
Death Valley is known to be the hottest place on Earth during the summer. Park rangers always recommend bringing plenty of water while traveling and having an emergency plan in place when visiting.
