California man dies from extreme heat after crashing car in Death Valley

Death Valley National Park in California has reported its second heat-related death of the summer , according to park officials on Monday.

On August 1, a day when temperatures soared to nearly 120 degrees Fahrenheit, bystanders noticed a man stumbling back from the Natural Bridge Trailhead , a one-mile roundtrip trail.

The man, identified as 57-year-old Peter Hayes Robino from Duarte, California , refused their assistance. Witnesses reported that his responses were incoherent.

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He then returned to his vehicle and drove off a 20-foot embankment at the edge of the parking lot. Bystanders assisted Robino back to the parking lot and found shade while one of them dialed 911. The National Park Service emergency responders received the call at 3:50 pm and arrived 20 minutes later.

According to the bystanders, Robino was breathing until just before the responders arrived. They performed CPR and moved him into the air-conditioned ambulance.

Robino was pronounced dead at 4:42pm, and an autopsy revealed he died of hyperthermia, or overheating. Symptoms can include confusion, irritability, and a lack of coordination.

In July, a motorcyclist tragically lost his life while riding with a group through the desert on a day that saw record-breaking temperatures of 128 degrees F (53.3 degrees C). Another member of the group was hospitalized, and four others received treatment on site.

Later in the month, a European tourist suffered third-degree burns on his feet after briefly walking barefoot on the sand.

At Badwater Basin's salt flats, the lowest point in North America , the park has installed a large red stop sign to alert visitors to the dangers of extreme heat to their bodies after 10am. Furthermore, officials have stated that emergency medical helicopters generally cannot fly safely when temperatures exceed 120 F (48.8 C). Park rangers advise summer visitors to avoid hiking in the valley after 10am and to stay within a 10-minute walk of an air-conditioned vehicle. They also recommend drinking plenty of water, consuming salty snacks, and wearing a hat and sunscreen for protection.