A man was found dead in Death Valley and his car had a broken air conditioner and two flat tires
Matthew Williams-Ellis/Universal Images Group/Getty Images; David Becker/Getty Images
- A 65-year-old man was found dead in Death Valley on Monday.
- The man's car was found to have flat tires and a broken air conditioner.
- Several deaths have been reported in Death Valley in recent years.
A 65-year-old man was found dead in his car in Death Valley National Park in California on Monday, according to a press release from the National Park Service.
The man was said to have died from extreme heat, per the NPS. His identity was not revealed in the press release.
A maintenance worker from the NPS had found the man's car around 30 yards from the North Highway, per the press release. The paved road was reopened in February after being closed due to extensive flood damage.
According to the NPS, the worker found the man unresponsive inside the vehicle. Several park rangers and officials from the Inyo County Sheriff's Office and the Inyo County Coroner's Office responded to the worker's calls and arrived at the scene.
"The sedan's tracks ran along the road shoulder and rocky berm before veering further away from the paved road. The vehicle did not crash but had two flat tires when stopped," the NPS said in the press release.
On Sunday, the temperature at Death Valley peaked at 126 Fahrenheit, per the press release.
According to the NPS' initial investigation, it appears that the man suffered from a heat-related illness while driving, which may have caused him to run off the road. The man's car was found to be operating but the air conditioner was broken, per the report. The driver's window was also rolled down.
Death Valley is known for being one of the hottest places in the world. Many tourists visit the area to experience its extreme weather — and deaths due to extreme heat are not uncommon.
In June 2022, a man died after walking in Death Valley's 123-degree heat to find gas for his car. And in August 2019, a woman was found dead after visiting Death Valley in the summer.
The NPS did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.