Man dies after fall in Death ValleyA 57-year-old guy tried hiking up from the Big Four Mine to Panamint Butte. He fell and banged his head. The fall may have killed him, but it may have been the heat subsequent to the fall that did him in.
On Tuesday (July 17) at approximately 9:45am, the aerial search team located personal items including a backpack, empty water bottles and printed information referencing hiking Panamint Butte, which is about one mile east of the vehicle on the slopes of Panamint Butte. Shortly after noon, the aerial search team located more personal items about 2000 feet southwest of the backpack. While circling those items, they also located the missing hiker’s body in a wash about 500 feet southeast of the items.
It's way too hot to be hiking at lower elevations this time of year!
Mr. Rhoad’s backpack contained a route description to Panamint Butte, a rugged off-trail route involving about 4,000 feet of elevation gain over loose rocks without a trail or designated route. NPS rangers do not recommend hiking at low elevations in Death Valley National Park during the summer due to excessive heat.
LINKS:
https://www.sierrawave.net/man-dies-after-fall-in-death-valley/https://bnqt.com/2018/07/20/hiker-dies-in-fall-in-death-valley-national-park/