French tourist dies in Death Valley heat

A 68-year-old French tourist died in Death Valley National Park after his vehicle became stuck in mud and he tried to walk for help across desert salt flats in 116-degree heat, officials said.

Pierre Michel Formosa was visiting from France with a travel companion when their vehicle became trapped on a remote road in the California park on Aug. 17, the National Park Service said. The pair left the vehicle and headed on foot toward Badwater Road, one of the park’s main paved roads, hoping to find help.

After about 1.3 miles, Formosa said he could not continue, according to the park service. His companion kept walking and eventually reached the road, where he flagged down a driver at about 2 p.m. local time. CBS News reported that the incident was then reported to park rangers from a visitor center in the area.

Rangers began searching for Formosa less than 15 minutes later, CBS News reported. The search included park rangers, a California Highway Patrol helicopter and, according to CBS News, a county deputy. Searchers found Formosa later that afternoon about 1.5 miles from Badwater Road. He was pronounced dead at the scene, the National Park Service said.

The Inyo County coroner will determine the cause and manner of death, which have not been released publicly, CBS News reported.

Death Valley National Park Superintendent Mike Reynolds offered condolences to Formosa’s family and friends and warned that the park’s conditions can become life-threatening quickly.

“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.”

The area where Formosa and his companion’s vehicle became stuck is near a hiking trail in a historic mining area, according to an independent archive of the National Park Service cited by NBC News.

The National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning for the area through Sunday night, warning of “dangerously hot conditions.” High temperatures in Death Valley were expected to remain between 115 and 118 degrees Monday and Tuesday, with a high of 119 expected Wednesday.

The National Park Service urged visitors to stay on paved roads during periods of extreme heat, carry satellite phones or emergency beacons and bring plenty of drinking water.

Death Valley bills itself as the “hottest place on Earth,” CBS News reported, with an all-time temperature of 134 degrees recorded in the park in July 1913. The park is also extremely dry. Formosa’s death came as parts of California and other Western states have faced severe heat and drought in recent months, CBS News reported. In Southern California, the National Park Service said the upcoming week was expected to be the hottest of the summer so far.