According to authorities, two people were found dead at the Big Bend National Park in West Texas. Officials identified a Florida man, aged 31, who was hiking with his 21-year-old and 14-year-old stepsons in the Marufo Vega Trail. It has been confirmed that the youngest one passed away along with his stepfather due to the extreme heat in the park.
The National Park Service affirmed that temperatures at the moment of the emergency were 119 degrees Fahrenheit (48 degrees Celsius). Moreover, the area has been under extreme weather conditions with high temperatures, similarly to other territories in the American country. The park said on a news release that:
“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.”
The officials were alerted about the situation at 6 p.m, on Friday, June 23. As a result, the park sent a rangers team and U.S. Border Patrol to the scene. Reportedly, the stepfather went back to his car to find help as the teenager’s older brother tried to carry him back to the trailhead. At that moment, the young boy fell ill and lost consciousness.
The search team arrived at the scene at 7:30 p.m, and sadly found out that the 14-year-old had died. Later on, they started looking for stepfather at 8 p.m, and recognized his car which had crashed over an embankment. The man was also found dead in the scene, in concordance with reports.
As the incident is still being investigated, the authorities refrained from revealing the names of the affected people and no additional details were given regarding the older stepson’s health condition.