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68-Year-Old Man Dies Amid Blistering Heat in Death Valley National Park
The companion survived after a passing motorist helped him report the incident as rangers and a helicopter searched the remote desert road.
- On Monday, 68-year-old French tourist Pierre Michel Formosa died in Death Valley National Park after his vehicle became stuck on a remote backcountry road, forcing him and his companion to walk across salt flats seeking help.
- Formosa and his companion were driving along West Side Road when their vehicle became trapped in mud near Queen of Sheba Mine Road. With no other motorists visible, the pair decided to walk toward Badwater Road in 116-degree heat.
- After walking approximately 1.3 miles, Formosa was unable to continue. A California Highway Patrol helicopter located his body roughly 1.5 miles from Badwater Road that afternoon, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
- Death Valley National Park Superintendent Mike Reynolds expressed condolences, calling the death a "heartbreaking reminder of how quickly conditions here can turn dangerous." Reynolds noted the park's heat, distances, and remoteness pose significant risks regardless of experience level.
- Park officials advise visitors to stay with disabled vehicles, which provide essential shade and are easier for search crews to spot from the air. Located about 125 miles from Las Vegas, Death Valley records heat-related deaths of one to three people annually.
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68-year-old man dies amid blistering heat in Death Valley National Park
The visitor and his companion, both from France, walked for help after their vehicle got stuck, NPS said.
·Spokane, United States
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Total News Sources15
Leaning Left2Leaning Right1Center9Last UpdatedBias Distribution75% Center
Bias Distribution
- 75% of the sources are Center
75% Center
L 17%
C 75%
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