A National Park Service worker found a 65-year-old man was found dead inside a car in Death Valley National Park on July 3, the agency reported.
A National Park Service (NPS) maintenance worker noticed a sedan on Monday about 30 yards off-road from North Highway. Inside, he found an unconscious man, according to NPS. Park rangers and local authorities responded to the news and pronounced the man dead at the scene. (RELATED: Death Valley May Have Broken Record For Hottest Day On Earth In 100 Years)
Investigations suggest the man died from the extreme heat of the day.
A 65-year-old man was found dead from apparent extreme heat at Death Valley National Park in California — where his car had two flat tires and a non-functioning air conditioning system — as temperatures soared into the triple digits, park officials said. https://t.co/1VUFizejeE
— CNN (@CNN) July 6, 2023
The sedan appears to have run along a rocky berm before steering away from the main road. “The vehicle did not crash but had two flat tires when stopped,” NPS reported. “The initial investigation suggests that heat-related illness may have caused the driver to run off road.”
The highest temperature on Monday was at 126°F and the overnight lowest temperature was 98°F. The vehicle was found operative and not stuck, but the air conditioning was not functional. “The driver’s window was found down, further indication that the air conditioning was not functioning when the man was driving.”
Death Valley is known to have some of the highest temperatures on Earth during the summer. Park rangers always recommend bringing plenty of water during trips and having an emergency plan when visiting.