Current:Home > FinanceMan found dead in car with 2 flat tires at Death Valley National Park amid extreme heat-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Man found dead in car with 2 flat tires at Death Valley National Park amid extreme heat
View Date:2024-12-23 22:46:19
A 65-year-old California man was found dead in his car in Death Valley National Park, officials said Wednesday.
Authorities from the National Park Service said in a news release that the unidentified man's death appears to have been caused by extreme heat. On Sunday, the day before the man was found dead, the high temperature was 126 degrees Fahrenheit, the park said. The overnight low temperature was 99 degrees Fahrenheit.
An initial investigation suggests that heat-related illness may have caused the driver to run off road, the National Park Service said.
The man was found dead in his car on Monday morning, officials said. A maintenance worker noticed his vehicle about 30 yards off the park's North Highway. The vehicle had not crashed, but had two flat tires, officials said. The air-conditioning was not working and the windows were down, providing "further indication that the air conditioning was not functioning when the man was driving," the National Park Service said.
When the employee walked to the vehicle, the man was unresponsive. Park rangers and employees from the Inyo County Sheriff's Office and Inyo County Coroner's Office were called, and the man was declared dead on the scene.
Initial measurements recorded the hottest day in the Earth's history on Monday, the day the man was found. Records were also set on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Cities across the U.S. from Medford, Oregon to Tampa, Florida have been hovering at all-time highs, Zack Taylor, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service told CBS News, and millions of Americans have been under heat alerts, including excessive heat warnings are continuing across southern Arizona and California.
Over the weekend, a 57-year-old woman died while hiking eight miles in triple-digit heat in Grand Canyon National Park. It was over 100 degrees Sunday, park officials said, and an excessive heat warning had been issued for portions of the trail because temperatures in some areas of the trail can reach over 120 degrees, even in the shade.
- In:
- Climate Change
- Excessive Heat Warning
- Heat Wave
Kerry Breen is a news editor and reporter for CBS News. Her reporting focuses on current events, breaking news and substance use.
veryGood! (83555)
Related
- Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger welcome their first son together
- Travis Barker’s Birthday Message to Kourtney Kardashian Celebrates All the Small Things—and PDA
- Biden is in Puerto Rico to see what the island needs to recover
- 1,600 bats fell to the ground during Houston's cold snap. Here's how they were saved
- Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul stirs debate: Is this a legitimate fight?
- Love Is Blind Season 4 Status Check: Find Out Which Couples Are Still Together
- Vanderpump Rules' Latest Episode Shows First Hint at Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss' Affair
- Truck makers lobby to weaken U.S. climate policies, report finds
- These Michael Kors’ Designer Handbags Are All Under $150 With an Extra 22% off for Singles’ Day
- Emma Watson Shares Rare Insight Into Her Private Life in Birthday Message
Ranking
- Colts' Kenny Moore II ridicules team's effort in loss to Bills
- Aaron Carter's Former Fiancée Melanie Martin Questions His Cause of Death After Autopsy Released
- Animal populations shrank an average of 69% over the last half-century, a report says
- Love Is Blind’s Bartise Bowden Reveals Name of Baby Boy During Reunion
- Oprah Winfrey Addresses Claim She Was Paid $1 Million by Kamala Harris' Campaign
- Climate activists want Biden to fire the head of the World Bank. Here's why
- Why Jenna Ortega Says Her Wednesday-Inspired Style Isn't Going Anywhere
- One Park. 24 Hours.
Recommendation
-
How Jersey Shore's Sammi Sweetheart Giancola's Fiancé Justin May Supports Her on IVF Journey
-
Here's what happened on Day 5 of the U.N.'s COP27 climate talks
-
Aaron Carter’s Team Recalls Trying to Implement a Plan to Rehabilitate After Cause of Death Determined
-
Climate change is making the weather more severe. Why don't most forecasts mention it?
-
Michelle Obama Is Diving Back into the Dating World—But It’s Not What You Think
-
Saint-Louis is being swallowed by the sea. Residents are bracing for a new reality
-
The White Lotus Season 3 Will Welcome Back a Fan Favorite From Season One
-
RHONJ's Melissa Gorga Slams Teresa Giudice for Comment About Her Daughter Antonia