22-Year-Old Man Dies After Running Out of Water Along Unmarked Trail at Badlands National Park: Police
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A 22-year-old man from Missouri died this week while on a hike in an unmarked area of Badlands National Park in South Dakota, police said.
According to a news release from the Pennington County Sheriff's Office that was posted to their Facebook page, Maxwell Right of St. Louis "collapsed and died from suspected dehydration and exposure" after hiking away from marked trails at the park on Wednesday. A friend who accompanied him survived and was rescued by park officials.
"[Right's] 21-year-old companion from Missouri was reached by Park Rangers and flown by Life Flight air ambulance to Monument Health," the department said in the release.
"He was being observed for exposure and dehydration due to the hot weather and lack of water," they continued.
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Temperatures at Badlands National Park neared 100 degrees for most of the week, the St. Louis Post Dispatch reported.
In the release, the sheriff's office said the two men had been hiking along an unmarked trail that has allegedly been the focus of a social media challenge.
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"The Pennington County Sheriff's Office reminds the public [to] stay on marked trails and carry sufficient supplies when participating in outdoor activities," the department said, adding the incident is still under investigation.
The sheriff's office did not specify whether they believe Right and his friend were participating in the challenge, and PEOPLE has reached out to the department for comment.
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Friends of Right told FOX affiliate KTVI that they believe the two men were not participating in a challenge during their hike.
Sheriff spokeswoman, Helene Duhamel, told NBC affiliate KSDK that the department did not want to share specifics about the challenge but said, "clearly, it's out there."
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"We've said many times, you have to have enough water, water, water," she added. "But I don't think people understand and they underestimate the heat, especially in the Badlands."
The sheriff's office said Badlands National Park Law Enforcement, Life Flight, Wall Ambulance, Rapid City Ambulance, and Interior Volunteer Fire Department also responded to Wednesday's incident.
