Man dies while hiking trail at Big Bend National Park

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.