Desert trip turns tragic for couple parked on a remote road

NEEDLES, Calif. (AP) A man who decided to take an afternoon hike in the desert carrying only a bottle of beer died from heat exposure and dehydration, authorities said.

Victor Flores, 28, and his girlfriend Candance O'Brien drove Saturday into the Chemehuevi Valley, about 15 miles south of Needles.

They were looking for a spot to park so they drove onto a dirt road and then found an old mining road, said Sgt. Glenn Shelhamer of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's department.

The couple was listening to music and ``had consumed quite a bit of alcohol,'' Shelhamer said.

Without taking any water or other supplies, Flores decided to take an afternoon hike. He carried a bottle of beer with him while O'Brien fell asleep in the truck, he said.

But Flores never returned from the hike. Temperatures in the desert soared above 105 degrees.

O'Brien went looking for her boyfriend but could not find him.

She tried to drive out of the area for help but the truck's battery had died because the couple had been listening to music on the radio.

O'Brien walked to the powerline road and put out a ``Help'' sign.

Then she waited.

Four days later, an employee of PG&E drove on the road and saw the sign. He found O'Brien dehydrated and in need of medical attention, Shelhamer said. Her condition was not immediately known.

Sheriff's deputies and rangers from the Bureau of Land Management began an extensive search of the area. A sheriff's helicopter spotted Flores at about 4:55 p.m. Wednesday a half-mile away from his pickup truck.

``That's the type of thing that can happen in a matter of hours in the desert, especially when you're drinking alcohol,'' Shelhamer said.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)