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 summoned to Quail Creek State Park on Saturday, a day when temperatures soared to at least 106 degrees Fahrenheit. Reports had indicated a hiker in distress due to dehydration.
Search teams located the hiker, but she was unresponsive, and their attempts at first aid were unsuccessful, as per 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 intense heat has resulted in multiple deaths this summer. National Parks and wilderness areas pose an added risk as visitors may find themselves in remote locations without cell reception or other amenities.
Three hikers succumbed to suspected heat-related causes at Utah’s Canyonlands National Park in mid-July after embarking on strenuous hikes in triple-digit temperatures.
Additionally, two motorcyclists lost their lives in Death Valley National Park, where the temperature soared to 128 degrees Fahrenheit during the July 4 holiday weekend.
Numerous other fatalities and severe illnesses occurred as approximately 130 million Americans endured a prolonged heat wave in various regions across the country this summer.
Following Hurricane Beryl’s impact on the U.S. earlier this month, heat-related deaths during extended power outages brought the storm-related fatality count to at least 23 in Texas.
