NPS: French tourist dies after mud-stranded vehicle, 1.3-mile walk in 116F heat

Death Valley park covers 3.4 million acres, largest in contiguous US

A 68-year-old French tourist died in Death Valley National Park recently after his vehicle became stuck in mud along the park’s remote West Side Road and he walked roughly 1.3 miles in 116F (46.6C) heat but was unable to go any farther, the National Park Service said. He was pronounced dead at the scene after a California Highway Patrol helicopter located him about 1.5 miles from Badwater Road.

The death comes as July was recorded as the hottest month ever measured in the United States and after the National Park Service reported three apparent heat-related deaths at Grand Canyon National Park in June.

Formosa was traveling with another French man along West Side Road, near Queen of Sheba Mine Road, when their vehicle became stuck in mud, according to the NPS. With no other vehicles nearby, the pair walked across the salt flats toward Badwater Road in search of help as temperatures reached 116F. After walking roughly 1.3 miles (2km), Formosa was unable to continue, the agency said.

His companion continued toward Badwater Road and eventually got help from a passing driver. The companion reported Formosa’s situation at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center shortly after 2pm. Park rangers and an Inyo County sheriff’s deputy launched a search and rescue operation at about 2:15pm. A California Highway Patrol helicopter later joined the effort and located Formosa that afternoon.

Formosa was pronounced dead at the scene. The Inyo County coroner will determine the cause and manner of death, the NPS said.

“Our deepest condolences are with the family and friends of the visitor who died,” said Mike Reynolds, the Death Valley national park superintendent. “This is a heartbreaking reminder of how quickly conditions here can turn dangerous. Death Valley is an extraordinary place, but its heat, distances, and remoteness can be dangerous, regardless of experience. We’re grateful to everyone who took part in the search, and our thoughts are with his loved ones.”

Death Valley, near the California-Nevada state border, is widely recognized as one of the hottest places on Earth. In July 1913, Furnace Creek, an unincorporated community within the park, recorded a temperature of 134F — recognized as the highest air temperature ever recorded on Earth. The park covers about 3.4 million acres (1.4 million hectares) and is the largest national park in the contiguous United States.

The NPS routinely warns visitors that cell service is limited or unavailable across much of the park and that emergency assistance can be hours away. The agency recommends that visitors plan routes in advance, check road and weather conditions before setting out, carry at least one gallon of water per person per day, and verify that their vehicle is suitable for backcountry routes — many of which require high clearance or four-wheel drive.

The park also advises visitors to carry a satellite communicator or emergency beacon, to stay with a disabled vehicle for the shade and shelter it provides, and to stick to paved roads while avoiding hikes at lower elevations during extreme heat.

The warnings come as heatwaves have swept across the United States and as July was the hottest month ever recorded in the country. Several hikers have died in suspected heat-related cases this summer. In June, the NPS reported three apparent heat-related deaths during trips into the inner canyon of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona — a 72-year-old man, a 67-year-old man, and a 68-year-old woman.