Global Courant
Officials say a Florida man and his 14-year-old stepson died after hiking in extreme heat in Big Bend National Park in West Texas
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, Texas — A Florida man and his 14-year-old stepson have died after hiking in extreme heat in West Texas’ Big Bend National Park, officials said.
The 31-year-old man had hiked the Marufo Vega Trail on Friday with his two stepsons, ages 14 and 21.
According to the National Park Service, temperatures at the time were 119 degrees Fahrenheit (48 degrees Celsius). The park, like other parts of Texas, experiences extreme heat with daily high temperatures ranging from 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) to 119 degrees Fahrenheit.
The 14-year-old fell ill during the walk and lost consciousness.
His stepfather hiked back to his vehicle while the boy’s older brother tried to carry him back to the trailhead, according to the park service.
Authorities were first notified of the emergency at 6 p.m. CDT on Friday. A team of park rangers and U.S. Border Patrol officers arrived at the scene at 7:30 p.m. and found the 14-year-old had died.
Authorities began looking for the father, and at 8 p.m. they discovered his vehicle had crashed over an embankment at Boquillas Overlook. The man was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, the park service said.
The names of the two victims were not immediately released by authorities and the causes of their deaths were not immediately known.
“The Marufo Vega Trail winds through extremely rugged desert and rocky cliffs in the hottest part of Big Bend National Park. No shade or water makes this strenuous trail dangerous to attempt in the heat of summer,” the park service said in a press release.
