14-year-old teen and her stepfather died in extreme heat in the Texas desert

A 14-year-old boy became ill and eventually died from extreme heat while hiking in Big Bend National Park in Texas on Saturday, according to information released by authorities.

The National Park Service said in a statement that the boy's stepfather, identified only as a 31-year-old man, also died while trying to help the boy when the vehicle he was traveling in veered off the road and crashed. crashed into an embankment below an overlook.

Authorities say the teen was walking with his stepfather and an older brother, all from Florida, along the Marufo Vega Trail near the U.S.-Mexico border when temperatures reached 119 degrees Saturday.

Rangers received a call for help at 6 p.m. and responded along with US Border Patrol agents, the border service said. parks.

The teenager was found dead at 7:30 pm, and the body of his stepfather was found in his vehicle below the Mirador de Boquillas approximately half an hour later, they said.

The local weather service office issued an excessive heat advisory through Tuesday that included forecast highs of 120 degrees for parts of the Rio Grande Valley.

The older brother, identified as a 21-year-old man, was uninjured . He had tried to carry the teen back to the trailhead, according to authorities.

On Sunday, the park service said the temperatures were “deadly” and recommended that visitors avoid walking the Marufo Vega trail in the afternoon.

“The Marufo Vega Trail winds through extremely rugged desert and rocky cliffs within the hottest part of Big Bend National Park. No shade or water makes this strenuous trail dangerous to attempt in the summer heat, the park service said.”

The deaths were under investigation.