Man dies of heat exposure after crashing car off embankment in Death Valley park

DEATH VALLEY, Calif. -- A second man has died of heat exposure in California's Death Valley National Park this summer, according to the National Park Service.

Peter Hayes Robino, 57, a resident of Duarte in Los Angeles County, died of hyperthermia on Aug. 1, the park announced Monday.

Bystanders saw Robino stumble as he returned from the National Bridge Trail -- a 1-mile round-trip journey -- and offered to help him but he declined, the NPS said, adding bystanders said his responses were not making sense.

Robino then got in his car and drove off a steep, 20-foot embankment at the edge of the parking lot and his car rolled over, deploying its airbags. A bystander left to call 911 and other bystanders helped him walk back to the parking lot and sit in the shade, the NPS said.

Bystanders said Robino was still breathing until just before park rangers arrived to provide help, according to officials. NPS emergency responders said they provided Robino with CPR and moved him to an air-conditioned ambulance.

Death Valley is always hot in July, of course. But this past July was the hottest ever recorded in history.

He was declared dead shortly afterward, according to the park service.

The temperature reached 119 degrees in Death Valley that afternoon.

Symptoms of overheating can include confusion, irritability and lack of coordination.

Park rangers in Death Valley National Park advise summer visitors to avoid the heat by staying in or near air conditioning, not hiking at low elevations after 10 a.m., drinking plenty of water and eating salty snacks.

"My condolences go out to Mr. Robino's family and friends," said Mike Reynolds, a superintendent at the park and emergency medical technician who responded to the incident. "His death serves as a reminder not to underestimate the dangers of extreme heat."