BUMP
Well, some more info has come out.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/18/us/ca...rnd/index.html
They dumped the dude's cellphone. Not sure why it took months, but apparently it did.
He tried to send texts and phone calls shortly before he died, mentioning that he and the baby were "over heating" and needed help.
So it probably was heat stroke, after all. He also took 16 pics of the hike, which began at 8am and 75 degree weather, but the 17th picture at around noon was an attempt at showing his location when he was becoming incapacitated from the 108 degree heat.
As you can see, it was a loop hike, and they were near the end of it. But it was long and hot.
They died 1.5 miles from the car, but apparently had been hiking for over 4 hours up until that point, and just fell short of getting back. It's still not clear why both adults died so close by to one another, as heat stroke tends to affect people at different speeds. Perhaps they just stuck together as it was happening.
It is odd that experienced hikers wouldn't be aware of how quickly it can get hot in August if it's already 75 degrees at 8am, and it's also odd that they didn't bring enough water for everyone, given the length of the hike. It does seem they were on the reckless side, bringing a 1-year-old along on these strenuous hikes, including on hot days like that.
Very tragic story, and an example of why you don't take chances when it comes to safety regarding hiking/nature.