French tourist dies after vehicle stranded Death Valley

A 68-year-old French tourist, Pierre Michel Formosa, died in Death Valley National Park after his vehicle became stuck in mud on West Side Road near Queen of Sheba Mine Road. With temperatures around 116 degrees, he and a traveling companion walked about 1.3 miles across salt flats toward Badwater Road for help, but Formosa could not continue. Rescue crews, including park rangers, an Inyo County deputy, and a CHP helicopter, located him about 1.5 miles from Badwater Road later that afternoon; he was pronounced dead at the scene. The companion sought help and reported the incident to the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, and the Inyo County coroner will determine the cause and manner of death. Park officials stressed the extreme heat, distances, and remoteness of Death Valley as dangerous factors and urged visitors to plan, carry water, stay with vehicles when possible, and match vehicles to backcountry roads. The incident follows a history of heat-related fatalities in the park, underscoring ongoing warnings to hikers and drivers about extreme conditions in the area.