Re: Endurance Athlete Dies After Solo Run

Death Valley National Park (CA)
Endurance Athlete Dies After Solo Run

On the afternoon of August 7th, rangers investigated a report of an unresponsive man on the Badwater Road at the southern end of the park. Ranger Tim Duncan, on detail from Mojave National Preserve, arrived at a location approximately six miles south of the Badwater parking lot to find several motor vehicle testers performing CPR on a man later identified as endurance athlete Mikhail Popov. Ranger Matt Martin and park volunteer Mike Wehmeyer arrived shortly thereafter and assumed patient care. A Mercy Air helicopter was dispatched to evacuate Popov, who was transported by ambulance to the Badwater parking lot to await the helicopter’s arrival. He was pronounced dead by the Mercy Air crew. Popov was attempting to run across Badwater Basin from Shorty’s Well on the west to the Badwater parking lot on the east, a distance of approximately 6.25 miles. No marked route exists between the two locations, and the ground surface of Badwater basin is typically knee-deep mud even in the middle of the summer. Popov began his run with four 16-ounce bottles of ice water. The high temperature recorded on the day was 123 degrees Fahrenheit.

Training for that suicide marathon through Death Valley, I suppose?

The Badwater Ultra is in mid July. Link is to a short article by Tom Stienstra. There is a more detailed article in Outside Mag.
http://www.sfgate.com/outdoors/article/Great-risks-can-accompany-great-feats-3783192.php