French tourist dies in California’s Death Valley after being stranded in heat

Man, 68, was left searching for help in 116F weather after his car became stuck in mud along remote park road A French tourist recently died in Death Valley national park after a car mishap left him stranded in 116F (47C) weather. The visitor, identified as 68-year-old Pierre Michel Formosa, was traveling with another French man along the park’s remote West Side Road when their vehicle became stuck in mud near Queen of Sheba Mine Road. With no other vehicles nearby, the pair walked across the salt flats toward Badwater Road in search of help as excessively temperatures reached 116F (46.6C), the National Park Service (NPS) said in a recent statement. After walking roughly 1.3 miles (2km), Formosa was unable to go any farther, the agency said. His companion continued toward Badwater Road and eventually got help from a passing driver. The companion subsequently reported Formosa’s plight at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center shortly after 2pm, the NPS said. Park rangers and an Inyo county sheriff’s deputy launched a search and rescue operation for Formosa at about 2.15pm. A California highway patrol helicopter later joined the effort and located Formosa that afternoon, about 1.5 mi

Aug 24, 2026 → Aug 29, 2026