Car stuck on salt flat in Death Valley National Park.Photo:NPS
NPS
Two men needed rescuing from the blazing heat of Death Valley last month, according to authorities. Now, they’re facing charges.
The two men were illegally driving onto a salt flat in Death Valley National Park on July 4 when their vehicle became stuck “almost a mile off road,” according to apress releasefrom the National Park Service.
The men, who were not named in the release, “took a wrong turn onto West Side Road” while using a GPS to navigate their way through the area, officials said.
“Around midnight, they became concerned about running out of gas, and decided to drive directly across the salt flat to Badwater Road,” officials added.
Car stuck on salt flat in Death Valley National Park.NPS
Eventually, the duo’s vehicle “got stuck in mud” about one mile from Badwater Road, according to the NPS. The two men then “split up” around 3 a.m. local time to seek help.
“The lowest temperature that evening was 90°F,” the park service said.
“The same family that picked up the first man then drove back to pick up the second man,” park officials said.
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Two Star Towing was able to remove the vehicle from the area on July 27, three weeks after the incident occurred.
The two men have been ordered to appear in court for their illegal off-road driving “and the resulting damage to the park,” according to the NPS. Charges and fines are pending.
“Driving off-road is illegal in Death Valley National Park,” the park service said. “In this case, it could have cost their lives.”
Getting lost in Death Valley National Park can be deadly. Earlier in July, a Los Angeles man died aftercollapsing outside a restroomas temperatures soared above 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
The victim, later identified as 71-year-old Steve Curry, spoke with a reporter fromThe Los Angeles Timesthat same day and said he’d hiked from Golden Canyon to Zabriskie Point that morning. “Everything is hot here,” he added.
In early July, another California man died in Death Valley while inside his car, which had abroken air conditioning unitand two flat tires.
source: people.com
