Current:Home > MyLost Death Valley visitors trek across salt flat after car gets stuck: "It could have cost their lives"-InfoLens
Lost Death Valley visitors trek across salt flat after car gets stuck: "It could have cost their lives"
View Date:2024-12-23 21:33:34
Two men who got lost in Death Valley National Park and walked for miles to find help could be facing charges and fines for allegedly driving across a salt flat, officials said Tuesday.
Though using GPS, the two got lost on July 4 after taking a wrong turn onto a gravel road, officials said. There is no cell service in most of the park, and the men spent three hours driving back and forth on the road. Worried about running out of gas, they decided to drive directly across the salt flat to reach Badwater Road, the main paved road in the southern end of the park, according to the park service.
The car got stuck in the mud after less than a mile, officials said.
There is no cell service in most of the park, so, unable to call for help, the men walked about a mile across the salt flat to Badwater Road, then another 12 miles north. Around 3 a.m., the men split up, with one of them walking another 6 miles north.
He was picked up by other visitors around 8 a.m. and taken to Furnace Creek, where he was able to call for help.
The good Samaritans who picked up the first man drove back to get the second man, who was suffering from heat illness. The man was taken to a hospital for treatment.
The lowest temperature that evening was 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the park service said.
"Driving off-road is illegal in Death Valley National Park," the National Park Service said. "In this case, it could have cost their lives."
The car remained stuck in the salt flat for three weeks until a towing company was able to remove it on July 27, according to the National Park Service. The skid steer used to remove the car was carefully driven in the same tracks the car had created to minimize additional damage to the park, as off-roading can harm plants and animals. Driving on the salt flats often leaves tracks that can scar the desert for decades.
"Death Valley is an awe-inspiring place that demands our utmost respect and preparedness," Death Valley Superintendent Mike Reynolds said. "We urge visitors to exercise caution and adhere to park rules. Don't drive off established roads; this damages the environment and can turn deadly."
The park visitors who got lost were issued a mandatory court appearance for illegal off-road driving and the resulting damage to the park.
The National Park Service urged visitors to prepare before visiting Death Valley National Park. Officials noted that GPS navigation in the area can be unreliable. Visitors should be sure to bring an up-to-date road map.
Heat-related deaths have been reported at Death Valley this summer. Tourists have flocked to the park this summer to experience the extreme heat.
- In:
- Death Valley National Park
Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBS News.
TwitterveryGood! (8183)
Related
- Reds honor Pete Rose with a 14-hour visitation at Great American Ball Park
- Tensions running high at New England campuses over protests around Israel-Hamas war
- Arab American comic Dina Hashem has a debut special — but the timing is 'tricky'
- Exclusive: Projected 2024 NBA draft top pick Ron Holland on why he went G League route
- IAT Community Introduce
- Are you a homeowner who has run into problems on a COVID mortgage forbearance?
- Olympic skater's doping fiasco will drag into 2024, near 2-year mark, as delays continue
- How Taylor Swift reporter Bryan West's video cover letter landed him the gig: Watch the video
- 'Underbanked' households more likely to own crypto, FDIC report says
- Watch livestream of 2024 Grammy nominations: Artists up to win in 'Music's Biggest Night'
Ranking
- A list of mass killings in the United States this year
- Israeli national team arrives in Kosovo for soccer game under tight security measures
- David and Victoria Beckham and how to (maybe) tell if your partner is in love with you
- Australian Mom Dies After Taking Ozempic to Lose Weight for Daughter's Wedding
- Tampa Bay Rays' Wander Franco arrested again in Dominican Republic, according to reports
- Obesity drug Wegovy cut risk of serious heart problems by 20%, study finds
- Trump joins media outlets in pushing for his federal election interference case to be televised
- Korean Singer Nahee Dead at 24
Recommendation
-
Pistons' Tim Hardaway Jr. leaves in wheelchair after banging head on court
-
‘Nope’ star Keke Palmer alleges physical abuse by ex-boyfriend Darius Jackson, court documents say
-
World War I-era munitions found in D.C. park — and the Army says there may be more
-
David and Victoria Beckham and how to (maybe) tell if your partner is in love with you
-
Smithfield agrees to pay $2 million to resolve child labor allegations at Minnesota meat plant
-
Sam Bankman-Fried is guilty, and the industry he helped build wants to move on
-
Businessman allegedly stole nearly $8 million in COVID relief aid to buy a private island in Florida, oil fields in Texas
-
Peoria Book Rack is a true book lovers hub in Illinois: Here are the books they recommend