A father and stepson died Friday at Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas under extreme heat conditions, the National Park Service reported.
Officials say a 31-year-old father and his two stepsons from Florida, ages 14 and 21, were hiking along Big Bend National Park’s Marufo Vega Trail in extreme heat with temperatures of 119° F.
The 14-year-old boy fell ill along the trail, losing consciousness. The 21-year-old stepson attempted to carry his brother back to the trailhead as the father hiked back to the vehicle to find help, NPS says.
Big Bend National Park’s Communications Center received a call for emergency assistance along the Marufo Vega Trail around 6:00 p.m.
Around 7:30 p.m., a team of park rangers and U.S. Border Patrol agents arrived at the scene and located the 14-year-old. The boy was deceased along the trail.
Roughly a half hour later, authorities located the father. The father’s vehicle had crashed over the embankment at Boquillas Overlook. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Below is a photograph of Boquillas Overlook.
The NPS describes the Marufo Vega Trail with panoramic views of the Rio Grande as “potentially deadly from April through September” due to high temperatures, lack of shade, and lack of potable water.
The trail “winds through extremely rugged dessert and rocky cliffs within the hottest part of Big Bend National Park.” The strenuous trail is particularly dangerous in the heat of summer.
NPS says Big Bend is experiencing extreme heat with daily highs of 110°-119° at low elevations and along the Rio Grande.
There is no cell coverage in the area, NPS notes on its trip planning website for the trail. They advise visitors to share their expected return times with someone else before heading out.
The tragic incident remains under investigation, NPS said, adding in the press release that there were no further details at this time.
The names of the victims and the surviving stepson were not immediately released.
TheBlaze has reached out to the NPS requesting an update.
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