Death Valley has lived up to its name once again.
On Tuesday, visitors to Death Valley National Park in California found the body of retired Marine Corps Capt. David Kelleher, 67, of Huntington Beach, California, according to the Daily Mail.
Kelleher had left a crumpled note in his vehicle that read “out of gas.”
When his body was found, he had made it about 2.5 miles from his car, according to the National Park Service.
In fact, his body was about 30 feet from California Highway 190, but a tree and the terrain hid the road.
The NPS noted that temperatures in the park have recently gone as high as 123 degrees.
Days after David Kelleher disappeared into Death Valley National Park, visitors found the Southern California man dead Tuesday. He appeared to have tried to walk to find refuge in temperatures that reached as high as 123 degrees. https://t.co/p4dVSqEGyr
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 18, 2022
Kelleher was cited by a park ranger on May 30 for off-road driving. At the time, according to the NPS, Kelleher had indicated he was low on gasoline.
Should parks be open when heat conditions are deadly?
It’s not clear what took place next, but on June 8, a park ranger noted that Kelleher’s vehicle was the only one in the parking lot at Zabriskie Point.
A search for Kelleher began after the vehicle was again seen at the parking spot on June 11.
Kelleher had not been reported missing.
The NPS said that it encourages anyone who runs out of gas while in Death Valley National Park to wait near a vehicle rather than go off on his or her own.
Park visitors are also advised to avoid hiking at low elevations after 10 a.m., stay within a short walk of air conditioning and drink plenty of water.
Body of retired marine captain David Kelleher, 67, found in Death Valley National Park after his car ran out of gas & he walked 2 miles in 123F heat https://t.co/xRgdCd36WW pic.twitter.com/FQtFwcoXa8
— Lipstick Alley (@lipstickalley) June 17, 2022
On June 1, John McCarry, 69, of Long Beach, California, was found dead in the park.
Park visitor Peter Harootunian was the subject of a search that began May 23. He had not been found.
Citing a family Facebook post, the Los Angeles Times reported that Kelleher retired from the Marine Corps in 1994 after 22 years with the Marines.
