A 68-year-old French tourist died in Death Valley National Park after his vehicle became stuck in mud and he was forced to walk for help in dangerous 116-degree heat.
The National Park Service said Pierre Michel Formosa and a travel companion, both from France, were driving on West Side Road on Aug. 17 when their vehicle bogged down near Queen of Sheba Mine Road. With no other vehicles in sight on the remote road, the two men left the car and crossed salt flats toward Badwater Road to seek assistance.
Formosa could not continue after about 1.3 miles, according to the park service. His companion went on alone, found a passing motorist on Badwater Road and asked for help. The companion reported the incident at Furnace Creek Visitor Center shortly after 2 p.m., prompting a search involving park rangers, the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office and a California Highway Patrol helicopter.
The helicopter later found Formosa about 1.5 miles from Badwater Road, where he was pronounced dead at the scene. The Inyo County coroner will determine the official cause of death. Death Valley National Park Superintendent Mike Reynolds said the incident was a painful reminder of how quickly the desert can become dangerous, even for experienced visitors.
