A 56-year-old hiker died at a Utah state park after she fell into “distress” because of a lack of water in sweltering 106-degree heat, officials say, in at least the fifth death at state and national parks this month alone.
Hurricane City police responded to a call for help Sunday and found the woman “unresponsive” on a trail near Quail Creek State Park, police said in a news release. The park is in the city of Hurricane, in the southwest corner of the state.
Lifesaving measures were performed, but “unfortunately, those efforts were not enough to save her,” police said.
The woman’s name was not released pending the investigation.
Sunday marked another day of triple-degree temperatures in the West, some parts of which have been grappling with a record-breaking, prolonged heat wave.
Avid hiker Belyruth Ordóñez, 30, died July 13 hiking in Utah’s Snow Canyon State Park in over 100-degree temperatures. Her parents were found nearby and were in critical condition with heat exhaustion.
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.
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 a 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. The smart dog kept barking until rescuers found the missing woman and her pet. The woman was in good condition, though she was extremely dehydrated and missing her shoes.