America’s deadliest national park is set to record number of deaths this year due to startling reason
A Nevada national park known as the deadliest in the US is expected to see a shocking death toll this year.
Featuring one of the most scenic coastlines, stretching for 750 miles, Lake Mead National Recreation Area has long been a hotspot for fishing, camping, boating and swimming.
Although the park may seem like a peaceful place, it is the scene of a staggering number of non-animal deaths each year, with the highest death toll expected to be recorded in 2024.
According to experts, traffic accidents and drowning are the two main reasons for the record number of deaths in this area.
According to data obtained by 8NewsNow.
Featuring one of the most scenic coastlines, stretching for 750 miles, Lake Mead National Recreation Area has long been a hotspot for fishing, camping, boating and swimming.
In June 2024, 19 deaths were recorded in the park, the same number as in July 2023, a month later.
On a broader scale, the recreation area saw 317 deaths between 2007 and 2024. Grand Canyon National Park came in second with 198 deaths during the same period.
According to a study conducted by Connecticut Litigation OfficeBetween 2013 and 2023, 56 people drowned in the park.
The lake is known to have aggressive winds that can affect current speed, temperature and waves, which can have a negative effect on swimmers.
The lake is known to have aggressive winds that can change the current speed, temperature and waves, which can negatively impact swimmers.
Despite these risks, there are no lifeguards stationed at the lake
John Haynes, a public information officer for the National Park Service explained: ‘You think you can just jump out of your boat for a quick swim and then swim right back to your boat.
‘But because of the strong wind your boat suddenly drifts away and you get stuck in the middle of the lake.’
Despite these risks, there are no lifeguards on duty at the lake.
According to Haynes, most drowning deaths are caused by visitors not following safety precautions, such as not wearing a life jacket when in the water.
The data comes months after Lake Mead officials began warning visitors not to put their heads under water at a popular hot spring near Hoover Dam over concerns the spring may be contaminated with a brain-eating amoeba.
Most drowning deaths are the result of visitors not following safety precautions, such as not wearing a life jacket when in the water.
Visitors to the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead Hot Springs have been told not to dip their heads into the nearby hot springs due to a possible brain-eating amoeba
N. fowleri is a brain-eating amoeba that causes sudden, severe symptoms, often leading to brain damage and death.
The deadly organism Naegleria fowleri has been found in hot springs when conditions are right, officials at Lake Mead National Recreation Area warn.
“Naegleria fowleri has been detected in hot springs,” a statement released this week said.
‘This amoeba enters through the nose and can cause a fatal infection that causes sudden and severe headache, fever and vomiting. It is advisable not to dive, splash water or immerse your head in hot spring water.’
The death of two-year-old Woodrow Turner Bundy in July was attributed to a brain-eating amoeba. The disease is so deadly that only four people in the U.S. have contracted it and lived to tell the tale.