I know that hot weather is hot, but dying after a mile and a half?

[Rain Man]

I don't get it. Was this couple in absolutely terrible shape? This kind of freaks me out. How do you die in less than two miles?


http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/08/us/new-mexico-french-deaths/index.html

French couple dies in New Mexico desert; son survives


(CNN)The sun and heat are harsh in the summer, and shade is nowhere to be found. But from all over, people come to admire the otherworldly beauty of the wave-like white dunes and to hike a trail marked only by posts staked deep in the gypsum sand.

Hikers at the White Sands National Monument in New Mexico are warned about the desert conditions and advised to take many precautions. In the summer, those include drinking lots of water -- a gallon a day is recommended -- and resting frequently. Temperatures often top 100 degrees.

That heat claimed the lives of a French couple hiking the undulating dunes of the Alkali Flat Trail with their 9-year-old son. The mother and father were both overcome by the temperature and died of heat-related illness, collapsing at different points along the trail, the local sheriff said.

The mother turned back when she didn't feel well and died on her way to the car. Unaware she had collapsed, the father and son continued on -- but the man, too, became disoriented and then died with the boy at his side, Otero County Sheriff Benny House said.

Though dehydrated, the boy survived. But he might not have made it were it not for a sheriff's deputy who was first called to help the child's mother.

Two park service employees on patrol Tuesday discovered the mother first, according to Marie Sauter, superintendent of the White Sands National Monument.

They called the Otero County Sheriff's Office, which sent deputies and emergency responders, but 51-year-old Ornella Steiner already was dead.

"They were trying to figure out why she was on the trail by herself," Sheriff Benny House told CNN.

Looking at Steiner's camera for clues, the deputy saw photos of a man and boy at the park's entrance. They were unaccounted for, House said, so deputies then extended their search.

Deputies found the father and son about 45 minutes later, slightly off the trail. David Steiner, 42, was dead. The son, whose name was not given, was with him.

"He wasn't crying," House said, but "he was dehydrated and of course he was upset."

The boy was taken to a hospital and French consular officials were notified, House said. But the boy didn't speak English, so in the meantime the sheriff's office found an interpreter -- the mother of a deputy's girlfriend, who is fluent in French.

From what the boy told investigators, the sheriff said, the family got about a mile and a half down the 4.6-mile-loop trail when the mother, who already wasn't feeling well, tumbled and aggravated a previous knee injury.

She headed back to the trailhead but made it only about 300 feet before collapsing.

The son and father continued walking for another 2,000 feet, unaware of the mother's collapse, but the father grew delirious and "started to make some bad decisions for the child," the sheriff said.


"He kept telling the son that the vehicle is 'right over here, right over here,'" House said. He was disoriented, and "the heat was affecting his judgment."

An autopsy on the parents isn't back yet, House said, but the medical examiner says their deaths appear heat-related.

Alkali Flat Trail takes visitors through the scenic white sand dunes to the edge of the Alkali Flat, a lakebed that dried up thousands of years ago, after the last ice age. There is no shade among the dunes, the highest of which rises about 60 feet, and sparse short shrubs are the only vegetation.

It's not the most heavily used trail at the park because it's strenuous and long, going up and down for 2.5 miles before it loops back around, Sauter said.

"It's a trail that you want to take half a day to do," she said.

The trail's path isn't visible in the sand. Instead, the way is marked by white posts with orange reflective tape, planted 3-to-4-feet deep in the sand and set varying distances apart but intended to be visible from post to post. Hikers walk from one trailpost to the next.

With the blowing wind and sand, park employees frequently have to check that the markers haven't fallen down. Visitors are told to turn back if ever they can't see the next one.

On the day the Steiners died, the high temperature was 101 degrees under sunny skies, Sauter said.

"It was a typical summer day. We hit the low 100s throughout the summer almost every day," she said.

Once hikers get into the dunes, she said, "there is no shade. There is no cover. You are out exposed to the sun, the wind, the heat, the reflection of the sun off the white sand. It's a harsh desert environment."

On the White Sands National Monument website, the Park Service warns visitors that heat-related illness is common in warm weather and can be fatal. It advises people to hike during cool times.

"Carry food and at least two quarts of water," it says. "Rest, eat and drink when tired. Drinking water is available only at the Visitor Center. The white sand reflects sunlight. Protect all exposed skin from sunburn. Protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses. We recommend that you do not hike alone."

The Steiners' deaths were the third and fourth at the park in the past 10 years, the sheriff's office told CNN affiliate KVIA.

Sauter said the park offers its condolences and sympathies to the Steiners' family and community in France.

"They're on our minds," she said.

"None of us want to ever see an incident like this, so we just try to arm the visitors as best as possible so they can make good decisions for themselves and their families for their visit," she added.

The boy's grandmother arrived in Albuquerque from France on Thursday and employees from social services took the boy to be with her, the sheriff said.

"It's just a tragedy," House said.

"It was the perfect storm for this family. They started off the trek with two 20-ounce bottles of water. When we got there, there was no water left in the bottles."

He added, "I just think they weren't prepared for that type of heat. I just think they underestimated the desert."

[MIAdragon]

French

[TomBarndtsTwin]

So they just gave up and surrendered to the heat . . . . . .


(typical French)

[BucEyedPea]

Not enough salt and water. Salt holds the water in and acts to cool off the body. You need salt when in intense heat.

[ModSocks]

I've passed out from heat exhaustion once. I was about 5-6 years old. I woke back up in our air conditioned hotel room to the sound of Duck Tales on the T.V.

I remember it pretty clearly. Our car broke down in Arizona on the way from Cali to Texas. Me and dad were walking to the liquor store....a 2 min walk at best. Instead of going around the fence that separated the Hotel and Store, we went under it. As i was crawling under it everything went black...then i woke up in the hotel room.

[KCUnited]

Eiffel victim to heat stroke once, not fun at all.

[BWillie]

I knew a guy that went hiking in Arizona. And died on his hike from dehydration. He was young, in his 20's, and not out of shape at all.

[Bwana]

Well at least the kid made it. It would be a shame if he had kicked the bucket as a result of having ignorant parents. The desert is a lot like the mountains, one wrong move can get you dead.

[Predarat]

If only if only they had Sploosh and Onions they would have easily survived.

[Straight, No Chaser]

The Euros have to stop thinking they can come to the southwest US in the summer and do this. It consistently happens inside the Grand Canyon.

It's not the distance. They became dehydrated and probably didn't realize it because perspiration is whisked away by the dry air. 20 ounces of water? They should not have gone out at that time. Leave @ Sunrise...

[KCUnited]

They were toast the second they stepped on that trail.

[displacedinMN]

French

I agree. French.

[Al Bundy]

Had to be something their bodies weren't used to. I walk out in the KC heat down Metcalf usually about 3 miles, and if I don't drink 36 OZ's of water in that time I can feel myself overheating a bit and I am in decent shape.

[Rain Man]

Not enough salt and water. Salt holds the water in and acts to cool off the body. You need salt when in intense heat.


I'm still trying to figure out what happened to me a couple of weeks ago, and I wondered if it was a lack of salt. I did a mountain race, and it was a difficult one, but I've done worse. About 2,400 feet of climb ranging from around 7,500 to 9,000 feet.

I think the difference, though, was that it was a very warm day in the upper 70s, and for some reason warm weather hits me particularly hard. That dang run almost killed me. While it's normal to get dehydrated, I was drinking more than my normal amount of water, but I just kept getting weaker, and I lost 8 pounds in four hours, which is much more than normal. By the end, my fingers were all tingly and my ears were ringing and I was barely putting one foot in front of the other. The only thing I could imagine was that it was a lack of salt, but I wasn't having the symptoms that you read about from lack of salt. Maybe I was just overheated, I don't know, but it was brutal.

[Bwana]

I'm still trying to figure out what happened to me a couple of weeks ago, and I wondered if it was a lack of salt. I did a mountain race, and it was a difficult one, but I've done worse. About 2,400 feet of climb ranging from around 7,500 to 9,000 feet.

I think the difference, though, was that it was a very warm day in the upper 70s, and for some reason warm weather hits me particularly hard. That dang run almost killed me. While it's normal to get dehydrated, I was drinking more than my normal amount of water, but I just kept getting weaker, and I lost 8 pounds in four hours, which is much more than normal. By the end, my fingers were all tingly and my ears were ringing and I was barely putting one foot in front of the other. The only thing I could imagine was that it was a lack of salt, but I wasn't having the symptoms that you read about from lack of salt. Maybe I was just overheated, I don't know, but it was brutal.

Are you French? :D

[Dartgod]

Are you French? :D

Oh shit.

[Brock]

What a stupid way to die.

[Dave Lane]

Well at least the kid made it. It would be a shame if he had kicked the bucket as a result of having ignorant parents. The desert is a lot like the mountains, one wrong move can get you dead.

Yeah I've walked the desert a lot. One 3 mile hike I used 4 liters of water each way. It's silly how fast the heat can get to you.

[Iowanian]

Did anyone confirm that they were actually deceased? Otherwise healthy French typically smell like they have died a few days prior.

Recently I found myself in an elevator and in 1000' of descent, the French people on the ride along both wept and smelled like a buzzard's fart.

[Lonewolf Ed]

The Euros have to stop thinking they can come to the southwest US in the summer and do this. It consistently happens inside the Grand Canyon.

It's not the distance. They became dehydrated and probably didn't realize it because perspiration is whisked away by the dry air. 20 ounces of water? They should not have gone out at that time. Leave @ Sunrise...

This! My cousin and her family from Denmark, where even in the southern regions, it seldom tops 82 in the summer, toured the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Death Valley, and L.A. in August a few years ago. I told them that when they got the rental car to be damned sure the A/C worked. They are all okay, by the way.

[L.A. Chieffan]

Just got back from a road trip around the Colorado plateau area, it's crazy how many Europeans there are. They don't dress for the environment, they look like they're going to Disney land, have hardly any water. Its a joke. In these areas you need at least 2L of water for that type of hike

[Bugeater]

I can't think of a less appealing way to spend a vacation than climbing sand dunes in 100 degree heat.

[L.A. Chieffan]

I can't think of a less appealing way to spend a vacation than climbing sand dunes in 100 degree heat.

It's beautiful scenery but you go early or late in the afternoon, early evening.

[Rain Man]

Are you French? :D


Foreign Legion, maybe. I survived, but wandered out in the wilderness for far too long.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Should have taken his freaks to the peak

[gblowfish]

Anyone out hiking in 101 degree weather has it coming.
Hey kid, Votre Papa est un abruti!

[BlackHelicopters]

Damn shame.

[Radar Chief]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SJweV0-yg9A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[kepp]

I'm still trying to figure out what happened to me a couple of weeks ago, and I wondered if it was a lack of salt. I did a mountain race, and it was a difficult one, but I've done worse. About 2,400 feet of climb ranging from around 7,500 to 9,000 feet.

I think the difference, though, was that it was a very warm day in the upper 70s, and for some reason warm weather hits me particularly hard. That dang run almost killed me. While it's normal to get dehydrated, I was drinking more than my normal amount of water, but I just kept getting weaker, and I lost 8 pounds in four hours, which is much more than normal. By the end, my fingers were all tingly and my ears were ringing and I was barely putting one foot in front of the other. The only thing I could imagine was that it was a lack of salt, but I wasn't having the symptoms that you read about from lack of salt. Maybe I was just overheated, I don't know, but it was brutal.

Hyponatremia (http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hyponatremia/basics/definition/con-20031445) happens when you drink more and more water trying to hydrate, but don't have enough sodium/electrolytes to help your body absorb it. You should keep some sodium tablets handy.

[Why Not?]

Interesting. Bummer. Living in this climate, I guess I am just used to it. I play flag on Sunday's all summer and consume about 1 bottle of water per 1.5 hours out there. Not saying it's as strenuous as a hike but it is a lot of running. Never have had any sort of issue. After reading this, I think I'm gonna start drinking more water pre-emptively

[ChiliConCarnage]

Hyponatremia (http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hyponatremia/basics/definition/con-20031445) happens when you drink more and more water trying to hydrate, but don't have enough sodium/electrolytes to help your body absorb it. You should keep some sodium tablets handy.

Take a bit of this, Rain man, it'll sort you right out.

http://also.kottke.org/misc/images/brawndo.jpg

[Bwana]

Foreign Legion, maybe. I survived, but wandered out in the wilderness for far too long.

LMAO

[MahiMike]

French fries.

[Earthling]

Well the dude should have went back to the car with his ailing wife. Just weird all the way around.

[lewdog]

I took a bike ride when it was 105 the other day.

Then again, I am not French.

[DMAC]

The boy killed them. Genius...

[KCUnited]

How much fondue you have hiking in 100 degree temps anyway? Should've gone to 6 Flags.

[Beef Supreme]

Is a mile and a half really "hiking?"

[Amnorix]

I'm still trying to figure out what happened to me a couple of weeks ago, and I wondered if it was a lack of salt. I did a mountain race, and it was a difficult one, but I've done worse. About 2,400 feet of climb ranging from around 7,500 to 9,000 feet.

I think the difference, though, was that it was a very warm day in the upper 70s, and for some reason warm weather hits me particularly hard. That dang run almost killed me. While it's normal to get dehydrated, I was drinking more than my normal amount of water, but I just kept getting weaker, and I lost 8 pounds in four hours, which is much more than normal. By the end, my fingers were all tingly and my ears were ringing and I was barely putting one foot in front of the other. The only thing I could imagine was that it was a lack of salt, but I wasn't having the symptoms that you read about from lack of salt. Maybe I was just overheated, I don't know, but it was brutal.


The Boston Marathon is run in April. In 2012 it was like 80 degrees -- which sounds nice. Great day for the crowds watching, but it was bad. Very bad for the runners. Many didn't finish, and there were many cases of heat stroke and the like with waaay more than the average number of runners needing to be hospitalized for dehydration etc.

Over 4,000 who registered to run bagged it altogether. All that training, but they said "fuck it, I ain't running in that kind of weather".

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/16/boston-marathon-high-temperature-hospitals-medical_n_1429895.html

[Red Dawg]

What idiots go hiking in that much heat. With a young child? Stupid.

[oldandslow]

I have done several hikes through the dry badlands of SD. However, I like the mtns much better. Rather deal with a bit of cold than herculean heat.

I have done many hikes in mountains. Just last year my son and I did a 14 day backpack trip in and around Buffalo and Ten Sleep Wyoming. Started with the 11 mile hike up to Cloud Peak and went from there.

The Cloud Peak summit hike is kind ofchallenging due to the steep bouldering and rock scrambling. And the friggen trail is not marked on most maps. The majority of the approximately 3000 ft ascent requires hopping from boulder to boulder for approximately 3 miles each way (from the valley floor).

Two thirds of the way up is a knife edge with some stomach churning double exposure. Not for the squeamish but easy in good weather. Half of the knife edge was covered in snow leaving about 5-10 feet of width to cross without snow on it. I would imagine it could be completely covered at times in the year. The mountain top widens but continues with large and steep boulder hopping with occasional snow fields. The cairns lead you on a faint path on the very far left side of the peak, although we only found them on the way down. Be prepared for a false peak after the knife edge followed by another push to the true summit.

Once we reached the top tho...wow.

But yeah, you can die if you do not prepare. Two liters of water on the desert is insanity.

[Beef Supreme]

While I don't generally feel like hiking in temperatures above 100 degrees is smart, nor does it sound like a vacation, I have done serious physical activity in temps that high and higher. Much higher if you count things like being on the tar roof of a car dealership where it's about 30-40 degrees hotter. And much more physical than walking a mile and a half.

You'd think they were hiking on the surface of Mercury the way some of you are talking.

[Marcellus]

I found this odd as well. I assume they simply weren't climatized and hydrated prior.

I ran 5 miles in a heat index of 107 last week with less than 20oz of water with me. But I have been getting used to the heat since summer hit.

Still pretty ****ing odd. Like has been said must be the French in them.

[Dave Lane]

I found this odd as well. I assume they simply weren't climatized and hydrated prior.

I ran 5 miles in a heat index of 107 last week with less than 20oz of water with me. But I have been getting used to the heat since summer hit.

Still pretty ****ing odd. Like has been said must be the French in them.

Yeah thats exactly the same thing LMAO

[Marcellus]

Yeah thats exactly the same thing LMAO

You are correct, it's not exactly the same, one of those things actually takes a resonable level of fitness. Not that you would know.

[Bugeater]

A picture of the father found on the camera has just been released.

http://www.cinemablend.com/images/news_img/16870/beverly_d_angelo_16870.jpg

[cdcox]

I'm thinking maybe they walked a mile into the desert and then couldn't remember if they locked their car or not so they walked back to the car found out it was locked, and took off again. The got about the same distance out and then got into an argument about whether the headlights were on, so they headed back again. So it was really their third time out, and the little kid said that he left his window rolled down and they just gave up.

[Bwana]

A picture of the father found on the camera has just been released.



Yeah another shot of him getting pulled over by a cop.

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k227/Peg_Leghcf/bsxfnhf.png (http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRxqFQoTCIiepYzSn8cCFUhFiAodwv4ABg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freerepublic.com%2Ffocus%2Fchat%2F3282932%2Fposts&ei=DjDJVYjfHsiKoQTC_YMw&bvm=bv.99804247,d.cGU&psig=AFQjCNGzxRCfCbeG17tS4ZsxRl8PrxIhLg&ust=1439334777138490)

[Psyko Tek]

Don't fuck with the desert

[BigRichard]

And a picture of the boy...
http://popcornhorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/tumblr_lsgdnhrS821qd3ucoo1_1280.jpg

[suzzer99]

Sounds like the first part of the hike was pretty strenuous. That combined with the reflective sand, their lack of water and most likely lack of hydrating ahead of time did them in.

[Saccopoo]

Bad Water. Death Valley. Ultramarathon.

You think you are a tough guy?

Well, try this shit and see how really tough you are.

And they run it in late July. In Death Valley. For 135 miles.

“The World’s Toughest Foot Race”

Covering 135 miles (217km) non-stop from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney, CA, the Nutrimatix Badwater® 135 is the most demanding and extreme running race offered anywhere on the planet. The start line is at Badwater, Death Valley, which marks the lowest elevation in North America at 280’ (85m) below sea level. The race finishes at Whitney Portal at 8,300’ (2530m). The Badwater 135 course covers three mountain ranges for a total of 14,600’ (4450m) of cumulative vertical ascent and 6,100’ (1859m) of cumulative descent. Whitney Portal is the trailhead to the Mt. Whitney summit, the highest point in the contiguous United States. Competitors travel through places or landmarks with names like Mushroom Rock, Furnace Creek, Salt Creek, Devil’s Cornfield, Devil’s Golf Course, Stovepipe Wells, Panamint Springs, Keeler, Alabama Hills, and Lone Pine.

http://cdn.dogomedia.com/system/ckeditor_assets/pictures/51f2a6331860e009f300061a/content_badwaterpb-130716-ultra-marathon-nj-02.photoblog900.jpg

I wonder if CP can sponsor Rain Man for this?

[L.A. Chieffan]

I've backpacked Whitney, good times.

[listopencil]

http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/clintnod.gif

[notorious]

Hiking in sand is a hell of a lot harder than a normal hike.

I would take 10 miles of a normal hike over 1 mile of up and down sand dunes.

[BWillie]

I can't think of a less appealing way to spend a vacation than climbing sand dunes in 100 degree heat.

Ha, my thoughts exactly

[Rain Man]

Hiking in sand is a hell of a lot harder than a normal hike.

I would take 10 miles of a normal hike over 1 mile of up and down sand dunes.

I went to the top of the dune at Great Sand Dunes National Park a few years ago, and I would agree. That was a chore. Plus, I kept wondering if I would hit a soft spot and become a well-preserved fossil for future archaeologists.

[Skyy God]

This dude died on the same hike I did. Moral of the story: don't be retarded or hike in the dead of summer.

http://archive.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/2010/01/03/20100103bryce0103.html

[007]

Each year I have a more difficult time dealing with the heat. I do 3-4 mile runs and 20-40 mile bike rides but this year has been more of a struggle for me. Now I am generally relegated to just running on my treadmill which is boring as shit but at least I'm not burning up. Bike rides I am pretty much just doing on weekends until we start getting back down into the mid 80s. Really looking forward to the 70 degree temps again. Of course that also means less time to get my ride in with the sun setting so much earlier by that time.

[penguinz]

I found this odd as well. I assume they simply weren't climatized and hydrated prior.

I ran 5 miles in a heat index of 107 last week with less than 20oz of water with me. But I have been getting used to the heat since summer hit.

Still pretty ****ing odd. Like has been said must be the French in them.

Dumb

[JimBaker48.8]

Damn near turned my chips in down here in Texas once from the heat, but what contributed to my problem and almost turned it deadly for me was that I actually drank too much water. Really, I drank so much water that I actually diluted the electrolytes in my system with the extraordinary quantity of water I consumed, and without electrolytes you can have big problems.

[Marcellus]

Dumb

Not as dumb as dying after walking less than 2 miles, regardless of the heat.

[penguinz]

Not as dumb as dying after walking less than 2 miles, regardless of the heat.Your comments are more so.

[Marcellus]

Your comments are more so.

Why the butt hurt? If you can't see the comparison that's not my problem dude.

You are French aren't you? That's what it is.

[scho63]

A close friend of mine works as a police office for the Feds guarding the Hoover Dam and you can't believe the stories he tells me of people going for hikes in the desert at 110 degrees with NO WATER and long sleeves and pants.

Some of the people he has rescued or died in the last 2 years;

1. A boy scout troop leader of 48 died of heat stroke after leading his troop of 14 boy scout campers on a hike in mid day with ONE CANTEEN of water for ALL. 12 of the 14 scouts were suffering hallucinations and were suffering severe dehydration.

2. An Amish couple from Delaware went hiking over 6 miles into the desert from the dam WITH NO FOOD, NO WATER, AND WEARING FULL SLEEVE CLOTHES AND PANTS WITH NO HATS. They were airlifted out with complete dehydration and near death.

3. Two young men decided to do a "training program" to lose weight by jogging around 5 miles through trails. One guy dies from dehydration-heart attack and the other guy was incoherent and barely alive when they found him but he survived.

This is how stupid people are.....

[penguinz]

Why the butt hurt? If you can't see the comparison that's not my problem dude.

You are French aren't you? That's what it is.You are the one that is apparently butt hurt.