SALT LAKE CITY, Utah

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, according to his sister.

The video above is from a previous report on extreme heat safety tips.

Background

James Bernard Hendricks, 66, of Austin, was hiking in the park and likely became disoriented from a combination of heat, dehydration, and high altitude, according to his sister Ruth Hendricks Bough.

His Journey

Hendricks had stopped in Utah while journeying across the West to the Sierra Nevada region of Nevada and California to spread his father’s ashes, he said in social media posts prior to his death.

Discovery and Investigation

Rangers found his vehicle at a trailhead parking lot after Hendricks was reported overdue the morning of Aug. 1, according to park officials. Hendrick’s body was found nearby off-trail, and his water bottle was empty, Bough said in a social media post.

Reaction and Grieving

“He was loved by countless people because he was an unusually kind, sweet person who made friends easily. Now all these people are grieving. It was a horrible shock,” his sister told the San Antonio Express-News.

Investigation

The National Park Service and Grand County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the death.

About Arches National Park

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

Temperatures topped 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the area on the afternoon before Hendricks was reported missing.

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