Congressional staffer died in Death Valley after his car got stranded

Daily Mail via msn ^ | 13 Apr 2021 | Snejana Farberov For Dailymail.com

[blueplum]

The family of an Arizona congressional staffer who died while camping in Death Valley National Park in California have revealed that his SUV had gotten stranded with two flat tires, and his wife suffered a severe injury to her foot during the ill-fated trip last week.

Alexander Lofgren, 32, and Emily Henkel, 27, were found on Friday on a steep ledge near Willow Creek, California, but Lofgren did not survive....

[blueplum]

Joshua Trees have thorns that will pierce steelbelts in a hot minute.

If you're going to take your vehicle into the desert, you need a few cans of fix-o-flat, real, ankle supporting hiking boots, balloons and 3x the water and electrolytes you think you need. You also need more fat and carbs than protein, which takes water to digest, so easy on the jerky and don't forget the roll of peppermint lifesavers. IF you are stranded with flat tires, realize your life is on the line. It's better to 'travel with shelter' by staying in your car on the road and ruining your rims driving on flat tires to get closer to civilization than to try to hoof it out. Your life is more important than new rims or a paint job. Carry balloons. From the air, neon Red or neon orange will stand against the tans of the desert.

Any other suggestions for desert survival for dummies?

[I Drive Too Fast]

Death Valley has a business that rents 4 wheel drive vehicles. They are equipped with the ability to call for help in case of emergencies. Some of the dirt roads can be very rough on tires.

[alexander_busek]

Any other suggestions for desert survival for dummies?

I would suggest anyone contemplating an off-road camping trip to Death Valley to seriously consider such alternatives as: municipal parks, parish picnics, resort hotels, etc.

Regards,

[The Duke]

Thanks for those tips. I’ve been considering purchasing 40 acres in the Mojave, and I could easily become the next victim due to lack of knowledge.

[CondoleezzaProtege]

I took a science class in college once that required camping trips throughout CA because I wanted to be out of my comfort zone. By far Death Valley was my favorite place.

Yes I’d love to go back but...yeah I guess it’s way too risky to only go with one vehicle and one other person?

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Oh and my experience of Death Valley was in the winter. When the little pupfish swim through the puddles and streams! Such a fascinating phenomenon and clearly not all year.

[Jonty30]

You just have to prepare properly.
One weekend, stay within one foot of Las Vegas. The next weekend, stay within two feet of Las Vegas. Keep increasing your distance a foot a weekend.

[alexander_busek]

Yes I’d love to go back but...yeah I guess it’s way too risky to only go with one vehicle and one other person?

Unless that "vehicle" is the Batmobile, and that "other person" is Chuck Norris.

Regards,

[Secret Agent Man]

get a sat phone

[robowombat]

Lighten? Any kin to Zoe?

[Jonty30]

Can they be rented?

[semaj]

If you have to walk out, do it during the night. Find shade to rest under during the day.

[Qatar-6]

Spent a lot of time around there

1. Let someone know where you're going and tell them to alert the authorities if you don't check back in by a certain time. It helps if you know the authorities number and give it to the people who are your lifeline. First check the number to see if it's good. The day you start your trip tell the authorities where you're going as well

2. Don't depend on Cellphones - plenty of deadspace

3. Don't deviate from your planned and coordinated route

4. Signal equipment, pin flares, strobes, mirrors.

5. Everything the first poster said about water, boots fix a flat ....is good advice. Loose flowing clothes (cotton, it breathes better. Blankets or jackets - gets very cold at night.

6. Extra spare if you can manage it. sandladders for if you get stuck. At least one sturdy D-handle shovel. Tarps and poles for shade

7. Know where you are when you're out there. if you're more than 10 miles walk from the nearest known civilization when you get stuck it's probably best to wait by the vehicle.

If you try to walk out follow the trail, road you came down. Unless you're a very experienced desert navigator do not try to go overland

The key thing though is let someone know when you're out there, where you're going and when you're supposed to be back and what's the drop dead time they should call the cavalry if they don't hear from you

Bottom Line: This is one of the most hostile environments on earth, easily as hostile as the Saudi empty quarter (I've been to both). It will kill you pretty quickly if you're unprepared.

Hope this helps

[who_would_fardels_bear]

I've been to Death Valley several times. We almost always went with a caravan of cars. There are plenty of reasonable dirt roads to travel on for those who don't want to stick to the pavement. And BTW, I thought it was illegal to drive completely off-road in a National Park.

There is even a place with some great cabins that one can stay in, but I won't say where.

Once we worked our way up Goler Wash from Ballarat, but had to stop because of what looked to be a manmade large step in the road aimed at preventing further travel. Fortunately there was a cabin right before the step that we stayed in. Back then we didn't worry about the Hantavirus that the mice and rats might have been tracking in and out of the cabin while we slept.

The next day we were able to hike to the Manson Family Ranch. Even after all those years it still had a pall about it.

Everyone I have taken to Death Valley has been delightfully surprised. I got to go there when they had the flooding and the water around Badwater was deep enough for kayakers. The wildflowers that year were spectacular.

I've stayed at the Furnace Creek Inn (when it was only unreasonably expensive) but have yet to play the golf course. Something to look forward to.

On one trip we travelled very close to where the couple got stranded. We had no trouble in that area, but then we stuck to the dirt roads, we had maps, we drove conservatively, and we were in constant communication with walkie talkies. Whenever we got to a tough spot, we got out and explored on foot rather than try to blunder our cars and trucks through.

[Secret Agent Man]

i would think so

[Jonty30]

I checked. $75/week.

[kiryandil]

"[Lofgren] previously served four years in in the U.S. Army as a combat engineer and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2011."

Also sounds like he was a very experienced backcountry hiker.

I also live in an area that will kill your @ss dead - though with cold, not heat.

[p. henry]

Stay with the vehicle. Shelter in the shade during the day. Sleep in the vehicle at night. Conserve your water. Stay together. These unfortunate people may have been experienced campers, but it eems they violated all of these rules.

[Fresh Wind]

Three things...

The guy is a democRat, clear evidence of mental deficiency.

A Subaru Forester is not a serious off-road vehicle.

Death Valley got that name for a reason.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

It looks like they drove down to the end of Gold Valley Road. Then rather than walking back the long way to Shoshone, they tried to climb down the cliffs to Badwater.

Bad choice.