The body of a man walking for help was found in Dead valley National Park on Tuesday after his car ran out of gas, National Park Service (NPS) announced.
David Kelleher, 67, was found dead near Zabriskie Point in the national park, considered one of the hottest places in the world during summer. Park authorities said that a heat wave recently swept through the area, causing record temperatures of 123 degrees Fahrenheit, or 50 degrees Celsius.
It’s unclear when Kelleher died, but the first indication that a Huntington Beach resident was in an accident was on the morning of June 8, when a park ranger noticed a single vehicle in the parking lot at Zabriskie Point .
Three days later, on the evening of June 11, the same ranger rediscovered the abandoned vehicle and began an investigation.
A crumpled note was found inside the car, which read “Out of gas”.
The vehicle was registered to Kelleher and park rangers knew he was not missing. However, a search of records revealed that Kelleher was issued an all-terrain driving license on May 30.
When Kelleher spoke to park staff that day, he said he was running out of gas.
Follow news bulletin. The Inyo County Sheriff’s Office and the Coroner’s Office have also responded to the incident.
Kelleher’s body was found by park visitors around 2 p.m. Tuesday, six days after his car was first discovered in the Zabriskie Point parking lot.
His body was about four kilometers from his vehicle and just nine meters off California’s 190 Freeway, which was “obscured by terrain and a green tree,” according to NPS.
In extreme heat, park officials recommend that visitors wait for their car, rather than walk to seek help if their vehicle breaks down or runs out of gas. The bulletin points out that Zabriskie Point, where Kelleher’s car is parked, is one of the park’s most popular viewpoints.
“The National Park Service encourages visitors to the park to stay safe during the summer by not hiking at low altitudes after 10 a.m., staying within short walking distance of air conditioning, Drink lots of water and eat salty snacks,” the report said.
Kelleher’s death is just one of two recent fatal incidents in the national park. On June 1, John McCarry, 69, was found dead in Panamint Valley.
“In this lower-sea basin, steady drought and record-breaking summer heat make Death Valley an inhospitable land,” NPS said of the park above. official website. “Despite its morbid name, a lot of life still exists in Death Valley.”
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