For the second time this summer a visitor to Death Valley National Park has succumbed to the high heat of the park. Officials say the woman's body was found about five miles from her vehicle in the southern portion of the park.
Park spokeswoman Abby Wines said the body of Pi-Wei Hung, 40, was found about 5 p.m. Sunday. It appeared as if her vehicle got stuck in loose sand in the berm of the Harry Wade Road, the spokeswoman said in a release.
On Sunday, at approximately 1:11 p.m., deputies from the Barstow Sheriff's Station responded to a report of a missing person in the area of Old Spanish Trail near Baker, California. Ms. Hung was driving from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Fort Irwin, California. She had not been heard from since Saturday at approximately 1:10 p.m., when she was in the Charleston View area of Inyo County.
Personnel from San Bernardino County, Inyo County, Fort Irwin National Training Center, and the National Park Service, along with two helicopters, responded to the remote area to search for Hung. At 2:30 p.m., Ms. Hung's vehicle was found along Harry Wade Road.
The woman had walked about 5 miles away from the road in temperatures above 100 degrees.
Back on June 9 park visitors found a deceased motorcyclist on Harry Wade Road. Reinhard Egger, 60, was a German citizen. The man’s motorcycle was parked upright and was still functional. According to Inyo County Coroner’s Office, Egger died from overheating. It was 118 °F that day.
Death Valley’s summer temperatures can quickly turn life-threatening. Cell phones do not work in most of Death Valley National Park, so travelers are safer if they stay on paved roads that are more frequently traveled by other visitors. Park officials urge visitors and area residents to always carry plenty of water in their vehicle. If a vehicle becomes disabled, travelers should wait with their vehicle until assistance arrives. The vehicle provides shade and makes it easier to be found.
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