Desert tragedy in Death Valley: French visitor dies after car gets stuck
A 68-year-old French tourist, Pierre Michel Formosa, died in Death Valley National Park after he and a companion abandoned their disabled vehicle on West Side Road. Formosa hiked about 1.3 miles toward Badwater Road before collapsing; a motorist alerted authorities and a search-and-rescue operation recovered his body about 1.5 miles from Badwater Road. The coroner will determine the cause of death. Park officials warn that Death Valley’s extreme heat and remoteness can be deadly, noting that the day’s temperature reached about 116 degrees during a record-hot 2024 summer.