Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Texas man on trip to spread father's ashes dies of heat stroke in Utah's Arches National Park

Share
SALT LAKE CITY -

A Texas man whose body was found in Utah's Arches National Park is believed to have died of heat stroke while on a trip to spread his father's ashes, family members said Tuesday.

James Bernard Hendricks, 66, of Austin, had been hiking in the park and likely became disoriented from a combination of heat, dehydration and high altitude, sisters Ila Hendricks and Ruth Hendricks Brough said.

The victim, who went by "Jimmy," stopped in Utah while traveling across the West to the Sierra Nevada mountains, where he planned to spread his father's ashes on a peak located outside Reno, Nevada, the sisters said.

Rangers found his vehicle at a trailhead parking lot after Hendricks was reported overdue the morning of Aug. 1, according to park officials. Hendricks' body was found about 2 1/2 (4 kilometers) miles from the trailhead during a search off the trail later that day, the sisters said.

He was an experienced hiker but his water bottle was empty, Brough said.

His sisters said he likely went on a long hike on the morning of July 29 -- the last day Hendricks was seen alive -- then perished during a second, shorter hike the same day.

Temperatures in the area topped 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius) that day. Brough found out later that her brother had been taking medication that can lead to dehydration.

"It was just a horrible crushing blow to everybody," she said. "He was the quintessential nature boy who went everywhere and did everything. He was so strong."

Another sibling -- brother Ron Hendricks -- disappeared more than two decades ago in the Lake Tahoe area, Brough said. The family was notified this year that his remains had been found and identified through DNA testing. James Hendricks had been organizing a memorial service for him, she said.

The National Park Service and Grand County Sheriff's Office were investigating the death. An official cause of death has not been determined, but heat and altitude are considered "relevant factors," said Lt. Al Cymbaluk with the sheriff's department.

Arches National Park, located in a high-elevation desert north of Moab, is known for its natural sandstone arches.

Much of the U.S. has seen record-breaking heat this summer. An Oregon woman died Friday during a hike in northern Phoenix. Authorities said her death appeared to be heat-related.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Vigars passed away peacefully in a B.C. hospital earlier this week. He was 78.

A British Columbia First Nation says at least 55 children died or disappeared while attending a residential school near Williams Lake, more than triple the number recorded for the institution in the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation memorial register.

5 things not to say to a grieving friend

It’s almost impossible to know what to say to someone in the throes of grief. We all want to say something comforting. Very few of us know what that is.

Two young men are facing second-degree murder charges in connection with the fatal fire in Old Montreal that killed Léonor Geraudie, 43, and her daughter Vérane Reynaud-Geraudie on Oct. 4.

A woman from Montreal's South Shore appeared in court on Friday on charges of aggravated assault after allegedly scalding a 10-year-old boy with boiling water more than one week ago.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued a recall for Rana brand Tagliatelle Seasoned White Chicken and Mushroom sauce, citing possible Listeria contamination.

A Montreal study found that many seniors are being overprescribed inappropriate medications.

Local Spotlight

James Taylor never expected to be walking home with a bag full of groceries he didn't buy.

This weekend marks the fifth anniversary of a large blizzard that paralyzed Manitoba.

There was an eye-catching mix of rainbows and lightning over Vancouver following a brief downpour this week.

Jeff Warner from Aidie Creek Gardens in the northern Ontario community of Englehart has a passion for growing big pumpkins and his effort is paying off in more ways than one.

Saskatchewan’s Jessica Campbell has made hockey history, becoming the first ever female assistant coach in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Have you ever seen videos of hovercrafts online or on TV and thought, 'Wow, I wish I could ride one of those.' One Alberta man did, and then built his own.

A B.C. couple is getting desperate – and creative – in their search for their missing dog.

Videos of a meteor streaking across the skies of southern Ontario have surfaced and small bits of the outer space rock may have made it to land, one astronomy professor says.

A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.