Belgian tourist dies at ‘The Wave’ rock formation on Utah-Arizona border
(AP Photo/Brian Witte, File) In this May 28, 2013, file photo, a hiker walks on a rock formation known as The Wave in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in Arizona. A 49-year-old Belgian man has died in an apparent heat-related death while hiking a popular spot near the Utah-Arizona border called "The Wave."
A Belgian tourist has died of apparent heat-related causes while hiking at a popular rock formation called “The Wave” near the Utah-Arizona border.
Kane County sheriff’s Sgt. Alan Alldredge says 49-year-old Christophe Pochic was found dead Monday night after his 16-year-old son called his mother at a hotel to tell her that his father had become disoriented and needed help.
Alldredge says it’s the first death at The Wave at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument since a trio of fatalities in 2013.
The geological gem attracts worldwide visitors with its swirls of searing red, orange and yellow that fold into a bowl. The 6-mile roundtrip hike there is unmarked, and cellphone reception is spotty at best.
Only 20 people are allowed to visit each day, chosen in a lottery system.
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