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 reached as high as 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. No further information about the woman has been disclosed by authorities.
RELATED STORY | Scorching heat wave creates deadly conditions in national parks
The intense heat has been a factor in numerous deaths this summer. National Parks and similar remote areas pose an extra danger because visitors may be far from cell service and other conveniences.
Three hikers lost their lives from suspected heat-related issues in Utah’s Canyonlands National Park in mid-July after embarking on challenging hikes during soaring temperatures.
Additionally, two motorcyclists perished in Death Valley National Park, where temperatures reached a high of 128 degrees Fahrenheit over the July 4th weekend.
Several other fatalities and severe illnesses have occurred as approximately 130 million Americans faced sweltering conditions during a prolonged heat wave in various parts of the country this summer.
Furthermore, two weeks after Hurricane Beryl struck the U.S. earlier this month, heat-related deaths during prolonged power outages pushed the storm-related fatality count to at least 23 in Texas.
