Man dies after vehicle gets stranded in Death Valley, attempts trek across blistering salt flats

The National Park Service (NPS) announced the death of Pierre Michel Formosa, 68, on Aug. 21.

Park officials said Formosa and his travel companion, also a French national, were driving on West Side Road along the Badwater Basin on Aug. 17 when their vehicle "became stuck in mud."

"With no other vehicles in the area, the men began walking across the salt flats toward Badwater Road to seek assistance," park officials said.

Temperatures were as high as 116°F - and eventually Formosa was "unable to continue."

NPS rangers soon began searching for Formosa, along with an Inyo County sheriff's deputy.

A California Highway Patrol helicopter later joined the search and found Formosa later that afternoon, about 1.5 miles from Badwater Road.

"He was pronounced dead at the scene," NPS officials said.

"The Inyo County coroner will determine the cause and manner of death."

In a statement, Death Valley National Park Superintendent Mike Reynolds said he was "grateful to everyone who took part in the search, and our thoughts are with his loved ones."

Fox News Digital reached out to Death Valley National Park and the Inyo County Sheriff's Office for additional information.

The incident comes after several other deaths at national parks this summer.