Tourists find man dead 2 miles from car in 123-degree Death Valley heat, rangers say

Tourists stumbled upon a man’s body in Death Valley National Park, officials said.

David Kelleher was recently visiting Death Valley when he ran out of gas. He started walking from Zabriskie Point toward Furnace Creek and left a note in his car that said “out of gas,” a June 15 news release said.

Park rangers noticed his car was left in a parking lot on June 11 and remembered seeing it three days earlier.

The car was registered to Kelleher, a 67-year-old from Huntington Beach, officials said. Kelleher had not been reported missing.

A search began in the national park in 123-degree heat, park rangers said, but the search was limited because of the heat.

“Park rangers say in extreme heat, people should wait at a broken vehicle, rather than attempting to walk for assistance,” officials said. “Kelleher’s vehicle was parked at one of the park’s most popular viewpoints.”

Tourists stumbled upon Kelleher’s body Tuesday, June 14, along a trail, officials said. His body was about 2 1/2 miles from his car, and about 30 feet from a highway.

“The National Park Service encourages park visitors to stay safe in the summer by not hiking at low elevations after 10 am, staying within a short walk of air conditioning, drinking plenty of water, and eating salty snacks,” officials said.

The death is the second fatality in Death Valley this month.

On June 1, a California man was found dead in a remote section of the park weeks after he was reported missing. His body was found a quarter-mile from his car.

Death Valley encompasses more than 3 million acres of desert land near the California-Nevada border, according to the National Park Service. It’s the largest national park in the continental U.S., and 93% of the park is considered wilderness.

The park sits below sea level, and it’s consistently smashing heat records.

“Death Valley is famous as the hottest place on earth and driest place in North America,” park rangers said. “The world record highest air temperature of 134°F (57°C) was recorded at Furnace Creek on July 10, 1913.”

Multiple people died in the park in 2021.

In November, a line of footprints led rangers to a 27-year-old hiker’s body in Death Valley, park officials said. The woman separated from her aunt and went off on her own before she was reported missing.

In January 2021, two Death Valley tourists discovered a body in a hot springs source pool, according to the National Park Service.

BEATING THE HEAT

If people choose to hike or be outdoors in dangerously hot temperatures, officials recommend the following tips:

• Carry and drink plenty of water and plan to replenish electrolytes

• Eat twice as much food as normal and have salty foods on hand

• Carry a first-aid kit

• Pack essentials only

• Bring a flashlight with spare batteries to hike during the cool evening

• Spray yourself with water to cool down

• Have a hat and sunscreen as protection from the sun

• Have a whistle or signal for emergency use

• Wear waterproof clothing

This story was originally published June 15, 2022 at 4:20 PM with the headline "Tourists find man dead 2 miles from car in 123-degree Death Valley heat, rangers say."