Authorities report that a 54-year-old woman passed away in southwestern Utah last weekend after running out of water during a hike.
Emergency responders were alerted to Quail Creek State Park on Saturday, a day when temperatures reached at least 106 degrees Fahrenheit. There were reports of a hiker “in distress due to lack of water.”
Search teams located the hiker, but she was unresponsive, and their attempts at first aid were unsuccessful, as stated by local law enforcement. Further details about the woman have not been disclosed by authorities.
RELATED STORY | Scorching heat wave creates deadly conditions in national parks
The extreme heat has been a contributing factor to numerous deaths this summer. National Parks and similar wilderness areas pose an additional risk because visitors may find themselves in remote locations without access to cell signals or other types of assistance.
In mid-July, three hikers died from suspected heat-related causes in Utah’s Canyonlands National Park after embarking on strenuous hikes during triple-digit temperatures.
Furthermore, two motorcyclists perished in Death Valley National Park, where temperatures soared to 128 degrees Fahrenheit over the July 4 weekend.
Additional fatalities and severe illnesses occurred as approximately 130 million Americans endured a prolonged heatwave in various regions of the country this summer.
And following Hurricane Beryl’s impact on the U.S. earlier this month, heat-related fatalities stemming from extended power outages brought the storm-related death toll to at least 23 in Texas.
