FRUITA, Colo. — A hiker died at the Colorado National Monument on Monday as temperatures climbed into the 90s.
Just before 2:30 p.m. on Monday, staff at the Colorado National Monument received a report about a hiker who had collapsed and lost consciousness on the Lower Monument Canyon Trail, according to the National Park Service (NPS).
NPS rangers, Lower Valley Fire crew members, Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff, and Mesa County Search and Rescue team members responded and found the visitor about two miles up the trail.
Family and first responders had initiated CPR on the hiker, but she was pronounced dead at the scene, NPS said.
She was later identified as Marsha Cook, 54, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Mesa County Coroner’s Office will determine her cause and manner of death.
No other details about this incident are readily available.
Colorado National Monument staff are reminding visitors about the dangers of hiking in hot weather, which can include heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Temperatures at the national monument have soared beyond 90 degrees this week and will likely get hotter this summer. To avoid the heat, hike before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m.
Recent trends will likely continue, and the upcoming summer season could be another hot one, meaning an increased risk of heat stroke. Here's what the experts say.
