A motorcyclist died of suspected heat stroke in California’s Death Valley National Park on Saturday., Another person was hospitalized over the weekend as heatwaves broke records across the West.
Authorities did not release any details about the motorcyclist who died. The park said in a statement that the other motorcyclist was rushed to a Las Vegas hospital with “severe heat stroke.” Details about the two motorcyclists’ conditions were not immediately available.
The park said the two victims were part of a six-man motorcycle group riding in the Badwater Basin area of the park, and the other four members of the group were treated at the scene.
Temperatures at the park reached a high of 128 degrees over the weekend.
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Temperatures in Death Valley National Park in California soared to 128 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday and Sunday. (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images, File)
Officials said the scorching temperatures prevented emergency medical helicopters from being deployed because aircraft typically cannot safely fly above 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
This photo shows the Badwater Basin salt flats in Death Valley National Park, a park known for its extreme temperatures, vast desert, and unique geological features. (Gabe Ginsburg/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images, File)
The park is under an “extreme heat” warning, with visitors advised to avoid hiking after 10 a.m., drink plenty of water and “travel prepared to survive.”
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Parks Superintendent Mike Reynolds echoed similar warnings in a statement.
“This is an exciting time to be in Death Valley experiencing potentially world-record temperatures, but we encourage visitors to be selective and avoid being outside air-conditioned cars or buildings for extended periods of time when temperatures are this high,” Reynolds said.
One of the hottest places on Earth, the park boasts dramatic landscapes of salt flats, sand dunes and rugged mountains. (Gabe Ginsburg/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images, File)
Officials warned that heat exhaustion and heat stroke can be cumulative and worsen over a day or even days.
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“In addition to the high ambient temperatures that make it difficult to cool down while riding, motorcycling through Death Valley in this heat is made even more challenging by the heavy safety gear that must be worn to reduce injury in the event of an accident,” the park said in a statement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
