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The
33-year-old Californian had been walking the popular Larapinta
Trail some 160 km (100 miles) west of Alice Springs in central
Australia with another man, when they became separated on
Wednesday, police said.
"His partner made it back to the Redbank Gorge carpark and
raised the alarm," Northern Territory Duty Superintendent Rob
Burgoyne told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
"Unfortunately the 33-year-old didn't arrive and his body was
eventually located about 400 meters down the track where he'd
turned the wrong way."
Police do not believe the death to be suspicious, although heat
and exposure were likely contributing factors, police
superintendent for the southern desert, Jody Nobbs, said a press
conference in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.
A snake bite, or a fall, were other possible causes under
investigation, he added.
Temperatures in the area reached 42 degrees Celsius (108 degrees
Fahrenheit) on Wednesday. The Larapinta Trail website lists over
exertion as one of the greatest risks to hikers due to the
potential for dehydration.
The men had hiked 16 km (10 miles) before they were separated on
a path that afforded little shade and were carrying limited
supplies of water, according to police.
"We live in a beautiful but harsh environment," Nobbs said.
(Reporting by Tom Westbrook and James Regan; Editing by Michael
Perry)
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