Death Valley National Park, which is known to be under extreme heat, has taken another hiker’s life.
52-year-old Blake Chaplin from Leawood, Kansas, became the second death in the past week, according to Death Valley officials on Tuesday.
The hiker died near Golden Canyon Trail, and his body was discovered next to the trail. A man who found Chaplin has reported the incident to park officials, the National Park Service said.
“Park rangers responded and confirmed the report,” said the officials in a news release. “No helicopters were available to assist, so national park staff search and rescue team members hiked in to recover the body.”
The death was put on investigation by the local sheriff’s office and county coroner but found no traces of foul play.
Over the weekend, temperatures in Death Valley, which usually records 115 degrees during this time of the year, reached 109 degrees.
“Although these temperatures may be cooler compared to a typical Death Valley summer day, precautions should still be taken while visiting in the heat,” park officials said.
Last August 18, park rangers said another San Francisco hiker also lost his life along Golden Canyon Trail in the national park. His cause of death was suspected to be due to heatstroke.
Located on the California-Nevada border, the park constantly has record-shattering heat and is being called as the hottest place on the planet.
“Death Valley’s dramatic landscape ranges from 282 feet below sea level to 11,049 feet above,” according to the National Park Service. “Clear, dry air, and minimal plant coverage means there’s little to block the sun from heating up the ground. Heat radiates from the ground back into the air.”
Park officials added that the hot air moves upward and gets stuck by the tall mountains. This air circulated to the valley field and continues the heat cycle, The Sacramento Bee reported.
“The park’s extreme heat attracts people seeking to experience a temperature hotter than they ever have before,” park officials said. “Park rangers say it is possible to visit Death Valley safely in the summer. Limit heat exposure by not walking more than 5 minutes from an air-conditioned vehicle.”
