A 68-year-old visitor from France died in Death Valley National Park last week after his vehicle became stuck in mud during extreme heat, park officials said.
Pierre Michel Formosa was traveling through the California park with a companion on Aug. 17 when the pair became stranded on a remote road. With no immediate help nearby, they left the car and set out on foot across the salt flats, hoping to reach assistance.
After walking roughly 1.3 miles through the exposed landscape, Formosa “was unable to continue,” the National Park Service said. Temperatures in the park had climbed to 116 degrees Fahrenheit that afternoon.
His companion kept going alone and eventually encountered a driver, who alerted park rangers at a nearby visitor center at about 2 p.m. local time. Rangers launched a search less than 15 minutes later, with help from a county deputy and a California Highway Patrol helicopter.
Search teams found Formosa later that afternoon, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the National Park Service. The Inyo County coroner is expected to determine the cause and manner of death, which have not been publicly released.
Death Valley Superintendent Mike Reynolds offered condolences to Formosa’s family and friends while emphasizing the serious risks visitors can face in the park’s harsh environment.
“This is a heartbreaking reminder of how quickly conditions here can turn dangerous,” Reynolds said. “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 describes itself as the “hottest place on Earth,” a title tied to the 134-degree temperature recorded there in July 1913. The park is also known for its exceptionally dry conditions.
Formosa’s death in triple-digit conditions came as parts of California and other states across the American West experience notably severe heat and drought over the last few months. In Southern California, the National Park Service said this upcoming week was expected to be the hottest of the summer so far.
