A man who drove his car off a steep 20-foot embankment at the edge of a parking lot in Death Valley National Park died of heat exposure later that day, the National Park Service said Monday. It was the second heat-related death this year in the park known for scorching summer temperatures.
According to the park service, bystanders saw Peter Hayes Robino, 57, of Duarte, in Los Angeles County, stumble when he got back to the Natural Bridge Trailhead after a one-mile roundtrip on August 1.
The bystanders offered to help Robino but he turned them down. They said his responses didn't make sense.
Robino then got in his car and drove off the embankment. The car rolled over and its airbags deployed.
"A bystander left to call 911. Other bystanders helped Robino walk back to the parking lot and provided shade," the park service said.
Its emergency responders got a 911 call at 3:50 p.m. and got to the scene 20 minutes later.
The bystanders told them Robino was breathing until just before the rangers arrived. The NPS EMTs started CPR and moved Robino into the air-conditioned ambulance, but he was declared dead at 4:42 p.m.
An autopsy the Inyo County Coroner found that Robino died of hyperthermia.
Symptoms of overheating can include confusion, irritability, and lack of coordination. The Furnace Creek weather station recorded 119 degrees that afternoon.
"My condolences go out to Mr. Robino's family and friends," said Superintendent Mike Reynolds, who was one of the EMTs who responded. "His death serves as a reminder not to underestimate the dangers of extreme heat."
Park rangers in Death Valley National Park advise that summer visitors:
- Avoid the heat by staying in or near air-conditioning,
- Not hike after 10 am at low elevations,
- Drink plenty of water, and
- Eat salty snacks.
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