BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, Texas (WFLA) — A Florida man and his stepson died Friday while hiking at the Big Bend National Park in Texas, according to officials.
A release from the National Park Service said the man and two stepsons were walking along the Marufo Vega Trail when the younger stepson, just 14 years old, became sick and passed out.
At the time, the temperature at the park was 119 degrees Fahrenheit, officials said.
According to the NPS release, the boy's stepfather hiked back to their vehicle to get help while the boy's 21-year-old brother tried to carry him back to the trailhead.
Big Bend National Park’s Communications Center got a call for help from the family at about 6 p.m., prompting a search by both Park Rangers and U.S. Border Patrol Agents.
Officials said the search team found the 14-year-old dead along the trail at about 7:30 p.m.
Around 30 minutes later, the team found the 31-year-old stepfather dead in his vehicle, which crashed over the embankment at the Boquillas Overlook.
According to the release, the Marufo Vega Trail is in the hottest part of Big Bend National Park.
"No shade or water makes this strenuous trail dangerous to attempt in the heat of summer," the release said. "Big Bend is currently experiencing extreme heat with daily highs reaching 110-119 F at low elevations and along the Rio Grande."
Details about the 21-year-old's condition were not immediately available. The two fatalities are currently under investigation.
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