THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- A 72-year-old woman was found deceased near a popular trail in the western portion of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Tuesday afternoon. No foul play is suspected.
A deputy from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department responded to a missing person’s report from three other individuals who had been hiking with the woman to the Grotto Trail near Sandstone Peak.
Her companions said she was new to their group. She was reportedly carrying a water bottle and wearing denim pants. She became separated from her group and another hiker reported that she appeared disoriented and groggy at the bottom of the trail.
Two hours later, a passerby spotted her body near Canyonview Trailhead. Paramedics responded and CPR was performed but she was pronounced dead at 3:52 p.m.
Visitors to the park are strongly urged to carry plenty of water on a hike, especially on hot summer days. In the summer, temperatures on exposed parts of the trail can reach over 100 F in the shade. Dress appropriately by wearing light and loose-fitting clothing.
Hiking in extreme heat can lead to serious health risks including heat exhaustion, heat stroke, hyponatremia, hyperthermia and death. Hikers in the morning or in the late afternoon when the temperatures are cooling down. If you see signs of a heat-related illness, stop, seek shade and try to cool down. Do not ignore the signs, which include nausea, disorientation, dizziness and hallucinations.
As always, know your own limits!
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is the largest urban national park in the country, encompassing more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A unit of the National Park System, it comprises a seamless network of local, state, and federal parks interwoven with private lands and communities. As one of only five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world, SMMNRA preserves the rich biological diversity of more than 450 animal species and 26 distinct plant communities. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/samo.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
