A man and his stepson die after hiking in Big Bend National Park in 119-degree heat

Authored by edition.cnn.com and submitted by Kimber80

Two people died Friday after hiking in extreme heat at Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas, the National Park Service said in a news release.

A stepfather and his two stepsons from Florida were hiking the Marufo Vega Trail when temperatures were at 119 degrees, according to the news release.

“The Marufo Vega Trail winds through extremely rugged desert and rocky cliffs within the hottest part of Big Bend National Park. No shade or water makes this strenuous trail dangerous to attempt in the heat of summer. Big Bend is currently experiencing extreme heat with daily highs reaching 110-119 (degrees) at low elevations and along the Rio Grande,” according to the park service.

During the hike, “the youngest, age 14, fell ill along the trail and lost consciousness,” park service officials said.

The 31-year-old stepfather then left the scene to hike back to their vehicle to find help, while the other brother, 21, tried to carry his brother back to the trailhead, according to the release.

The Big Bend National Park’s Communications Center received a call requesting emergency assistance at about 6 p.m., the park service said. “Park Rangers and US Border Patrol Agents reached the scene at approximately 7:30 p.m. and located the young victim deceased along the trail,” officials said.

Authorities then began looking for the stepfather. At about 8 p.m. they found his vehicle, which had crashed over an embankment at the Boquillas Overlook, the news release said.

The 31-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. No further details were provided about the 21-year-old or his condition.

The incident remains under investigation, officials said.

Silly_Dealer743 on June 25th, 2023 at 23:38 UTC »

I work in the Mojave doing biological/environmental surveys. Folks underestimate the heat and what it can do to you. When it’s over 95f I go through at least two gallons of water a day and pop an electrolyte tablet several times a day. Hyponatremia is just as bad as serious dehydration. Gotta keep those salts up!

jrakosi on June 25th, 2023 at 23:21 UTC »

It's been 100+ here in San Antonio for 2 weeks straight. I wouldn't go 7 hours further into the desert right now if you were paying me...

rotaryman on June 25th, 2023 at 22:36 UTC »

Marufo Vega is probably one of the worst trails for summer hiking. There is 0 shade on the hike and you are basically following an old ore car cable into the desert. I did it in the fall and sheltered in the shade of a small boulder on the way back. I looked down and a snake (racer) was sitting next to me. Neither of us wanted to leave that spot and he was still there after I kept going.