Peter Hayes Robino, 57, of Los Angeles County, crashed his car down a steep slope on August 1 after a one-mile round-trip hike.
Death Valley is one of the hottest places on earth.
In some of the hottest places on Earth, temperatures can far exceed the limits comfortable for the human body.
A second person has died this summer from heat stress after hiking in California’s Death Valley National Park, where temperatures have recently soared, park officials said.
Peter Hayes Robino, 57, of Los Angeles County, crashed his car down a steep slope after taking a one-mile loop hike in the park on Aug. 1. An autopsy later confirmed that Robino died of heat exposure, the National Park Service said Monday.
Robino is the second person to die this summer after visiting Death Valley, a region that has experienced an unprecedented heatwave in recent months, with temperatures reaching highs of over 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54.4 degrees Celsius).
Los Angeles County man drove car off embankment after hiking
Passersby saw Robino stumble as he returned from a hike on Death Valley’s Natural Bridge Trail, a shorter, rocky trail that park authorities advise avoiding on hot days.
Temperatures reached 115 degrees that day. Witnesses offered to help Robino, but he declined, with answers that “made no sense,” according to the park service.
Robino then got into his car to leave the park but plunged down a steep, 20-foot embankment at the edge of the parking lot, park officials said. The car overturned and the crash caused the airbags to deploy.
Robino was able to exit the vehicle and walk to a shaded area of the parking lot while a passerby called 911. He was still breathing when park emergency responders arrived at 4:10 p.m., but died within an hour despite being resuscitated and placed in an air-conditioned ambulance, park officials said.
An autopsy conducted by the Inyo County Coroner found that Robino died of hyperthermia, symptoms of which include overheating, confusion, irritability and lack of coordination.
Scorching heat in Death Valley threatens guests
Robino’s death came less than a month after a motorcyclist died of below-average heat in Death Valley, a national park considered one of the hottest and driest places in the United States.
The driver, who was riding through the park with a group of six motorcyclists, was taken to a Las Vegas hospital for treatment for severe heat illness. Four others were also treated and released from the national park that day, when temperatures reached 59 degrees.
Heat advisories and warnings were in place in California in early July as temperatures exceeded 100 degrees across the state. Later in the month, another traveler was rescued and hospitalized in Death Valley National Park after suffering third-degree burns to his feet.
Despite the scorching heat, park officials in Death Valley have repeatedly warned visitors about the dangers of spending extended periods outdoors in such conditions. Park rangers advise Death Valley National Park visitors in the summer to stay in or near air-conditioned rooms, avoid hiking at low elevations after 10 a.m., drink plenty of water and eat salty snacks.
Contributor: Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]
