By Jerald Jimenez
Jul 24, 2023, 22:04 PM EDT
Two women hiking were found dead in Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park on Saturday afternoon due to excessive heat that has gripped the state with extreme temperatures.
The two victims hiked the trails in the park, located about 65 miles northeast of Las Vegas, on Saturday morning, according to Nevada State Police.
Authorities said several hikers reported seeing the women start their trek, but said the couple had not returned.
The maximum temperature on Saturday was 45 degrees Celsius (114 Fahrenheit) in the southern part of Nevada, where the excessive heat advisory remains.
When authorities conducted a wellness check shortly before 3 pm, they found a woman dead on the trail, while the second hiker’s was found in a ravine, state police said.
The identities of the women have not been released. As of now, the cause of death is still under investigation.
A total of seven deaths were heat-related in Clark County through mid-July, according to the Southern Nevada Health District.
The recent events came as hikers from other parts of the country have suffered incidents related to extreme heat.
One last death was reported due to heat in an American park, which occurred last Tuesday in Death Valley National Park, in California, with temperatures reaching 53 degrees.
The hiker, who was identified as 71-year-old Steve Curry, collapsed outside a bathroom in Golden Canyon hours after telling the Los Angeles Times how difficult it is to walk in the heat.