LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — According to the National Park Service, a man died of heat exposure at the Natural Bridge Trailhead in Death Valley National Park earlier this month.
According to officials, Peter Hayes Robino, 57, a resident of Duarte Township in Los Angeles County, died on Thursday, August 1.
According to the NPS, passersby saw Robino stumble as he returned from the one-mile loop trail on the Natural Bridge Trail. The passersby offered to help Robino, but he declined. They said his answers didn’t make sense.
Robino then got into his car and drove down a steep, 20-foot embankment at the edge of the parking lot. The car overturned and airbags deployed, according to NPS.
A passerby went to call 911, and others helped Robino walk back to the parking lot and provided shade.
NPS rescue crews received the emergency call at 3:50 p.m. and arrived at 4:10 p.m.
Bystanders said Robino was breathing until shortly before park rangers arrived. NPS paramedics began CPR and placed Robino in the air-conditioned ambulance. Robino was pronounced dead at 4:42 p.m.
An autopsy performed by the Inyo County Coroner revealed that Robino died of hyperthermia.
Symptoms of overheating can include confusion, irritability and lack of coordination. Temperatures of 117 degrees Fahrenheit were recorded at the Furnace Creek weather station that afternoon, NPS said.
“My condolences go out to Mr Robino’s family and friends,” said Superintendent Mike Reynolds, one of the paramedics who responded to the incident. “His death is a reminder not to underestimate the dangers of extreme heat.”
Park rangers in Death Valley National Park advise summer visitors to:
- Avoid the heat by staying in or near an air conditioner
- No hiking after 10am at low altitudes
- Drink plenty of water
- Eat salty snacks
This was the second heat-related death this summer in Death Valley National Park.
