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A man died while hiking at Big Bend National Park on Tuesday, the National Park Service said Wednesday.
Richard Merrill, 54, of Friendswood, died while hiking on the Marufo Vega Trail.
Park Law Enforcement Rangers stopped to investigate a vehicle parked at the Marufo Vega Trailhead and found a note detailing Merrill’s plan to hike from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a request to notify the park if he hadn’t returned by then.
That morning, temperatures at nearby Rio Grande Village were already 90 degrees Fahrenheit with 38 percent relative humidity at 10 a.m., and reached 106 degrees with 17 percent humidity by late afternoon. Under these conditions, a hiker will lose more moisture to sweat and evaporation than can be replenished by drinking and can quickly become dehydrated and experience heat illness.
Given this extreme heat danger, Park Rangers began search and rescue operations when conditions became more favorable and safe. That evening they were able to locate Merrill, deceased, a quarter mile off trail near the junction of the Strawhouse and Marufo Vega trails. Due to the rugged terrain and intense afternoon heat, recovery operations began early July 3, with the assistance of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter and crew.
“We are deeply saddened by this loss and would like to extend our sincere condolences to the friends and family of Mr. Merrill,” said Superintendent Bob Krumenaker. “The environment of Big Bend in the summer is, sadly, unforgiving. We urge all hikers to be sure they are prepared for the summer desert conditions so they are able to return home and safely visit Big Bend again. I would also like to extend my thanks to the hard work of the search and rescue team under these extreme conditions, as well as to our Border Patrol partners for their assistance.”
The park would like to remind visitors that hiking in the desert in the summer can be dangerous. For visitors coming over Fourth of July Weekend, we would like to urge caution due to extreme heat conditions. We recommend hiking only in the very early morning hours, and being off all trails by the time temperatures reach 95 degrees, which is usually between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. this time of year.
