INYO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: A 71-year-old hiker collapsed and died in Death Valley on Tuesday, hours after telling a reporter he was not afraid of the scorching heat. Steve Curry, a retired electrician from Los Angeles, was hiking on the Golden Canyon trailhead when he fell unconscious near a restroom around 3.30 pm, as temperatures soared to 121F (49C).

Earlier that day, he had spoken to a Los Angeles Times reporter at Zabriskie Point, where he was “slathered in sunscreen, huddled beneath a metal interpretive sign that afforded a small amount of shade,” according to park officials. When asked why he was hiking in such extreme conditions, he replied: “Why do I do it? Why not?”

'Why Not?' Hiker Steve Curry's last words before dying in Death Valley heat

Curry reportedly declined offers of help and said he wanted to keep up with younger hikers. His wife, Rima Curry, said he had a passion for hiking and that he had taken wilderness training courses. “He just had this desire to go there,” she told KTLA. “He wanted to take this one hike and it did him in.” She added, "He was a loving man, very good soul, good-hearted, enjoyed people, loved the outdoors.” Park rangers tried to revive him with CPR and a defibrillator but were unsuccessful. He was the second person to die in Death Valley this month, after a 65-year-old man was found dead in his car on July 5.

The temperature at nearby Furnace Creek was 121°F at the time of his death

Death Valley, which holds the record for the hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth 134F (57C) in 1913, is under an excessive heat warning until Sunday night. Signs reports say warn hikers not to venture out after 10 am but many still ignore the advice. The Inyo County Sheriff’s Office said the cause of death was believed to be heat-related. “The Inyo County Coroner’s Office has not yet determined the man’s cause of death. However, park rangers suspect heat was a factor,” the press release from park officials noted. “The official temperature at nearby Furnace Creek was 121°F around the time of his death. Actual temperatures inside Golden Canyon were likely much higher, due to canyon walls radiating the sun’s heat.”

Who was Steve Curry?

For almost three decades of marriage, Steve and Rima shared a passion for walking around their Sunland community as they didn't have any children. Steve also enjoyed the thrill of conquering the nearby mountains. “He liked challenges. I mean, he’s kind of an introverted Ironman type person," Steve’s neighbor, Frank De Luca said. He said, however, Steve had heart problems and a lengthy hike in triple-digit temperatures may have been more than he could handle. Steve had been preparing for his hike in Death Valley for a fortnight and even though his wife doubted his choice of date, she never imagined it would be his final adventure. “He was a really, genuinely kind soul,” said De Luca. “We’re all going to feel his absence in this neighborhood.” A GoFundMe page has been created for Curry's funeral expenses.