Around one week ago, the Grand County Sheriff’s Office found the remains of a 66-year-old man near the Sand Dune Arch Trail in Arches National Park near Moab, Utah.
Family of the man, identified as James Bernard Hendricks of Austin, Texas, revealed that he was there on a mission to scatter his father’s ashes. His death also echoes the tragic disappearance of his brother two decades ago.
Hendricks was last seen alive July 29.
According to CBS News, Hendricks was an experienced hiker. However, he was found with an empty water bottle. His sisters have guessed that he went on a long hike in the morning of July 29 and then perished on a shorter hike.
“Temperatures in the area topped 100 degrees Fahrenheit that day,” said CBS News. This summer, Audacy has reported on record-breaking temperatures around the globe, making places known for being hot – such as Arizona – even more dangerous.
So far this year, there have been five fatalities reported at Arches National Park, including Hendricks. Per the National Parks Service, it has more than 2,000 natural stone arches, hundreds of pinnacles, massive rock fins, and giant balanced rocks.
Overall, data released by the parks service this year indicates that more than 2,000 visitors to the parks died between 2014 and 2021. Previous data compiled from 2014 to 2016 indicated that there were six deaths per week at national parks.
In February, The Sacramento Bee reported that remains of Ron Hendricks, who went missing in 1992, were found in the area of Lake Tahoe State park in Nevada. His remains were identified through DNA testing.
Ruth Hendricks Brough said that James, known as “Jimmy” was arranging a memorial service for their brother Ron.
“It was just a horrible crushing blow to everybody,” she said of James’ death. “He was the quintessential nature boy who went everywhere and did everything. He was so strong.”
Brough said that the family has learned that James was taking medication that could have contributed to dehydration and along with her sister, she believes that he became disoriented with the heat and high altitude. CBS News said that he is believed to have died from heatstroke, which can happen when the body’s temperature rises rapidly and it is unable to cool down.
Lt. Al Cymbaluk with the sheriff’s department said heat was likely a relevant factor in the death, per the outlet.
“An investigation into this incident is being conducted jointly by the NPS and Grand County Sheriff’s Office,” said the National Parks Service last Wednesday.
At the time of his death, James Hendricks was on his way to the Sierra Nevada mountains. There, he planned to “spread his father’s ashes on a peak located outside Reno, Nevada,” said his sisters, according to the CBS report.
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