Death Valley heat causes second death of summer

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Californiaof Death Valley National parks have suffered another death due to summer heat stress, officials said Monday.

On Aug. 1, when temperatures reached nearly 120 degrees Fahrenheit (48.3 degrees Celsius), bystanders saw a man stumbling back from the Natural Bridge Trailhead, a one-mile round-trip trail, according to a news release.

The man, Peter Hayes Robino, 57, of Duarte, California, refused their help. Witnesses said his responses made no sense. He got back in his car and drove down a 20-foot embankment at the edge of the parking lot, the news release said.

Bystanders helped Robino walk back to the parking lot and find shade while one of them called 911. Emergency responders from the National Park Service received the call at 3:50 p.m. and arrived 20 minutes later, the news release said.

According to bystanders, Robino was still breathing before rescuers arrived. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation He was moved into an air-conditioned ambulance.

Robino was pronounced dead at 4:42 p.m., and an autopsy found he died of hyperthermia. symptom Symptoms can include confusion, irritability and lack of coordination, the release said.

In July, a motorcyclist died while crossing the desert with a group of tourists on a day when temperatures hit a record high of 128 degrees Fahrenheit (53.3 degrees Celsius). Another member of the group was taken to the hospital and four others were treated on the scene. Later that month, a European tourist suffered third-degree burns on his feet after briefly walking barefoot in the sand.

In the valley’s salt marshes at Badwater Basin, the lowest point on the North American continent, the park has erected a giant red stop sign warning visitors of the dangers of extreme heat after 10 a.m. In addition, officials say emergency medical helicopters generally cannot safely fly in temperatures above 120 degrees Fahrenheit (48.8 degrees Celsius).

Park rangers warn summer visitors not to hike in the valley after 10 a.m. and to stay within a 10-minute walk of an air-conditioned vehicle. Rangers recommend drinking plenty of water, eating salty snacks and wearing a hat and sunscreen.