BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, Texas — Two people died Friday after hiking a trail at Big Bend National Park, according to a park press release.
Park officials said a 31-year-old man and his two stepsons from Florida were hiking the Marufo Vega Trail in extreme heat. Temperatures at the time were 119 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the release.
The youngest stepson, 14, fell ill along the trail and lost consciousness. The stepfather then left to hike back to their vehicle to find help while the other brother, 21, attempted to carry his brother back to the trailhead.
A team of Park Rangers and U.S. Border Patrol Agents reached the scene at approximately 7:30 p.m. and "located the young victim deceased along the trail," the release says. Then, they began searching for the stepfather.
Nearly 30 minutes later, his vehicle was located crashed over the embankment at the Boquillas Overlook and he was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.
"The Marufo Vega Trail winds through extremely rugged desert and rocky cliffs within the hottest part of Big Bend National Park," park officials said in the release. "No shade or water makes this strenuous trail dangerous to attempt in the heat of summer."
This incident remains under investigation, and there were no further details available.
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