They two were hiking at 100-degree Fahrenheit (37.7 degrees Celsius).
A man, 52, from Wisconsin and his 23-year-old daughter died after getting lost in Utah’s Canyonlands National Park and running out of water in extreme heat. They two were hiking at 100-degree Fahrenheit (37.7 degrees Celsius), according to a report in the New York Post.
National Park Service rangers reported that on Friday afternoon, someone in Canyonlands’ Island of the Sky neighbourhood texted 911 to San Juan County dispatchers. After receiving the emergency call, the officials of the Bureau of Land Management’s Moab District Helitack searched for the father and daughter.
However, by the time the pair was found, they were already dead, according to the National Park Service.
The tragedy marks the most recent deaths in National Parks this summer. In Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park, several hikers who were unprepared for temperatures in the triple digits died. A motorcyclist in California lost his life in Death Valley when the mercury reached 128 degrees Fahrenheit.
Rangers from the National Park Service encourage people to hike with plenty of water and to avoid hiking in the afternoon when temperatures are at their highest.
A severe heat wave swept central to eastern parts of the United States in June, with several cities recording their highest temperatures in decades, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Experts warn that this heat wave could turn into a deadly weather event, labelling it the “silent killer.”
Kristie Ebi, a public health scientist at the University of Washington who contributed to a United Nations special report on extreme weather, told PBS that in recent years, the heat “seems like it is coming faster and more severe than we expected.”
The heat wave sweeping across much of the US is driven by what meteorologists call a “heat dome.” This phenomenon involves a high-pressure system in the atmosphere that causes hot air to sink and compress, resulting in soaring temperatures at ground level. Approximately 80 million people across the US are experiencing sweltering conditions, with heat advisories or excessive heat warnings in place. Residents are urged to take precautions, stay hydrated and avoid prolonged exposure to the heat.
