French tourist dies after car stuck in Death Valley heat
A 68-year-old French visitor died in Death Valley National Park on Aug. 17 after his vehicle became immobilized in mud and he was unable to survive extreme temperatures of 116°F.
A 68-year-old French tourist died in Death Valley National Park on Aug. 17 after his car became stuck in mud on a remote road and he was forced to walk across salt flats in 116-degree Fahrenheit heat. Pierre Michel Formosa and a companion abandoned the vehicle and attempted to reach help, but after walking about 1.3 miles Formosa could not continue. The companion kept moving, encountered a driver who alerted park rangers, and a search involving rangers, a county deputy and a California Highway Patrol helicopter began within 15 minutes. Officials located Formosa later that afternoon and pronounced him dead at the scene. The Inyo County coroner will determine the cause and manner of death.
"This is a reminder of how quickly conditions here can turn dangerous," said Mike Reynolds, superintendent of Death Valley National Park, adding that the park’s heat, distances and remoteness pose risks regardless of experience.
Death Valley, known for its extreme heat, holds the record high temperature of 134°F recorded in July 1913.