Father and Daughter Hikers Die in Popular National Park Amidst Extreme Heat

Two hikers, a father and his daughter, died over the weekend during extreme heat conditions in Utah’s Canyonlands National Park, the National Park Service (NPS) confirmed in a statement.

On the afternoon of July 12, a 23-year-old woman sent a “911 text” to San Juan County Dispatch explaining that she and her 52-year-old father had gotten lost while hiking the Syncline Trail. They had run out of water as temperatures crested above 100° Fahrenheit.

A land and air search operation was initiated by National Park Service rangers and Moab’s Bureau of Land Management. Unfortunately, the two hikers were already deceased by the time help arrived. Both the father and his daughter, who have not been publicly identified, were visiting Utah from Green Bay, WI.

“San Juan County Sheriff’s Office and the National Park Service are investigating this incident. No additional information is available at this time,” the NPS advised.

The service advised that temperatures are expected to remain high throughout the summer season. “Park visitors are advised to carry and drink plenty of water and avoid strenuous activity during midday heat,” the NPS said.

The deaths in Canyonlands National Park are only the most recent heat-related deaths in a summer which has seen several. Last week, a 50-year-old Texas man died while hiking a popular Grand Canyon trail. Several weeks before that, a 41-year-old man died while hiking the very same trail.

Last week, in Death Valley, a motorcyclist died as temperatures soared above 100°. A tourist in Italy also perished on Mount Etna in what is believed to have been a heat-related incident.

The American Red Cross recommends that the average person should drink ¾ of a gallon of water each day if they plan to be outdoors in extreme heat, though individual needs may vary. One should avoid sugary, alcoholic, or caffeinated drinks; however, if you sweat a lot, combining a sports drink like Gatorade with regular water intake will replace the salt and minerals lost through sweat.