A 56-year-old hiker in Utah died at a state park after she fell into “distress” due to a lack of water amid sweltering 106 degree-heat, officials say, marking at least five deaths at state and national parks this month alone.
The tragedy unfolded on Sunday when Hurricane City police responded to a call for help and found the woman “unresponsive” on a trail near Quail Creek State Park, police said in a news release. The park is located in the city of Hurricane, in the southwest corner of the state.
Life saving measures were performed, but “unfortunately, those efforts were not enough to save her,” police said.
The woman’s name was not released pending the ongoing investigation.
Sunday marked another day of triple-degree temperatures in the west, which has been grappling with a record-breaking, prolonged heatwave in some parts.
That marks at least five heat-related fatalities reported at state and national parks in July alone.
Avid hiker Belyruth Ordóñez, 30, died July 13 after hiking in Utah’s Snow Canyon State Park in over 100-degree temperatures. Her parents were found nearby and were both hospitalized with heat exhaustion in critical condition.
The day before she was found, authorities discovered the bodies of Wisconsin residents Albino Herrera Espinoza, 52, and his daughter Beatriz Herrera, 23, at Canyonlands National Park in Utah, after they had run out of water, according to the San Juan County Sheriff’s office.
The Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety, which reported Ordóñez’s death, warned: “As temperatures soar, it’s absolutely vital to maintain a regular intake of water, especially when outdoors. Dehydration can lead to serious health issues, including heat exhaustion and heat stroke…. Stay safe and well-hydrated.”
In one positive case, a barking dog saved the life of his owner who had dementia and had gone missing amid the scorching heat in Utah last month, according to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. That smart dog kept barking until rescuers found the missing woman and her pet, and she was found in good condition, though extremely dehydrated and missing her shoes.
