Tourist dies in Death Valley National Park on 113-degree day after vehicle gets stuck
Park officials said the 68-year-old man walked about 1.3 miles in 116-degree heat before collapsing and dying.
- On August 17, 2026, French tourist Pierre Michel Formosa, 68, died after his vehicle became trapped in mud within Death Valley National Park amid temperatures that reached 116 degrees.
- The pair had been driving near the Queen of Sheba Mine when their vehicle became stuck in isolated terrain, prompting them to walk across exposed salt flats toward Badwater Road.
- Formosa was unable to continue after walking about 1.3 miles in the intense heat, while his companion flagged down a passing driver and reported the emergency at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center shortly after 2 p.m.
- National Park Service rangers and an Inyo County Sheriff deputy launched a search operation at 2:13 p.m., with a California Highway Patrol helicopter locating Formosa about 1.5 miles from the road; the Inyo County Coroner will determine the cause of death.
- Death Valley National Park Superintendent Mike Reynolds stated the incident is a "heartbreaking reminder of how quickly conditions here can turn dangerous," urging visitors to remain with disabled vehicles for essential shade and visibility to search crews.
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The victim, identified as Pierre Michel Formosa, was 68 years old; the American national park where the tragedy occurred is considered one of the hottest places on the planet
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The OregonianFrench tourist dies in Death Valley after getting stranded in 116-degree heat
Death Valley National Park’s extreme heat turned deadly last week when a stranded motorist collapsed while walking nearly 1.3 miles for help after his vehicle got stuck on a remote road.
(Las Vegas = Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Kyung-yoon = It was belatedly revealed that a French tourist died in Death Valley, California, which is notorious for summer heatwaves...
French tourist dies after getting stuck in scorching Death Valley
The vehicle that Pierre Michel Formosa, 68, was using with his travel companion, who was also from France, got bogged down in mud on August 17. The two men decided to hike across salt flats in an effort to find help, but had only gone around 1.3 miles (two kilometers), when Formosa became unable to continue, the NPS said. The other man carried on and was eventually able to get help from a passing motorist, who alerted authorities. A search-and-r…
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