US heat wave: Father, daughter die in Utah park after getting lost, running out of water
Utah desert
The searing heat wave in west US has claimed the lives of a father and daughter, who had gone missing while hiking in a national park in Utah.
What happened to the father and daughter in Utah?
Albino Herrera Espinoza, 52, and Beatriz Herrera, 23, from Wisconsin, died after sending desperate text messages. In their message to 911, they said they had been lost in the park and had run out of water. A search was launched for them onJuly 12 in the area, which had been experiencing temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
They had been hiking in the park's Island in the Sky mesa, a dangerous area notorious for heat-related deaths. The Syncline Loop Trail there is described by the National Park Service (NPS) as "the most challenging trail in the Island in the Sky district."
"The report from the NPS stated that the pair of hikers were a father and daughter who had become lost while hiking the Syncline Loop Trail. Dispatch informed NPS of emergency 911 texts from the hikers, reporting that they were lost and out of water," said a statement from the local sheriff's office.
An area known for heat-related deaths
In the same area, another 30-year-old woman was found dead last Saturday, apparently due to severe heat. She was among three hikers located by Snow Canyon State Park authorities in Utah, said the Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department, according to a report by ABC News.
US heat wave led to 31 deaths this month
Western US has been experiencing a massive heat wave this year, with temperatures in several states going beyond 100 degree Fahrenheit and breaking records in some cases.
All-time high temperature records were broken in several counties in California, ranging from 120 to 112 Fahrenheit.
So far, 31 people have died in July due to heat-related causes.
Watch:US heatwave: Earth's temperature is 1.5 degrees Celsius higher than average
More than 70 million people are under heat alerts, said the ABC News report.
(With inputs from agencies)
