Motorcyclist dies of suspected heat exposure in Death Valley amid record high temperatures

A motorcyclist died from suspected heat exposure and another was hospitalized with severe heat illness Saturday amid record-breaking temperatures in Death Valley National Park in California, park officials said.

The deceased motorcyclist was not identified or described by age or gender, and the condition of the hospitalized patient was not available.

The Inyo County coroner’s office did not immediately respond to a request for information.

Four other people from the same group of riders were treated at the scene for “heat stress,” Nichole L. Andler, a national park ranger, said by email Sunday.

The park service said in a statement Sunday that the six were driving near Badwater Basin, a salt flats area in the park that includes the lowest point in North America.

The area is south of the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, where the National Weather Service recorded a high temperature of 128 degrees Saturday afternoon, one degree higher than the previous record high of July 6, set in 2007.

The scientists did not favor the runners, the park service said. Temperatures were well above the 37-degree limit, beyond which ambient air provides little cooling to humans, it said.

Riders often wear thick, heavy protective gear, making it even harder to cool down. And helicopters that serve as air ambulances and can more quickly traverse the expanse of the Mojave Desert are often grounded when takeoff becomes difficult in the warmer air, which spreads molecules that promote larger wings or blades and Herculean thrust.

“Heat this intense can pose a real threat to your health,” park Superintendent Mike Reynolds said in a statement Sunday. “While this is a very exciting time to experience potentially world-record temperatures in Death Valley, we encourage visitors to choose their activities carefully.”

The park, which has issued an “extreme summer heat” alert, is advising visitors to avoid hiking after 10 a.m. and to prepare for potentially deadly heat by being mindful of clothing, shade and water consumption. The park service also warns that cellphone reception is often nonexistent in Death Valley.

The National Weather Service had forecast record heat for Death Valley through nearly midweek as it roasts under a high-pressure dome that is warming much of the West.