Photo: ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP / Getty Images
A motorcyclist died of suspected heat exposure while driving through Death Valley National Park on Saturday (July 6) as temperatures soared to 128 degrees, setting a new record for the day.
A second person was transported to a hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada, with severe heat illness.
National Park Service Ranger Nichole Andler told NBC News that a group of six riders were in Badwater Basin, near the lowest point in North America, when they started to feel the effects of the intense heat.
The other four members of the group were treated on scene for heat stress.
Park officials warned people to be careful as they make their way through Death Valley amid a record-setting heat wave.
"High heat like this can pose real threats to your health," park Superintendent Mike Reynolds said in a statement. "While this is a very exciting time to experience potential world record-setting temperatures in Death Valley, we encourage visitors to choose their activities carefully."