Tragic: 66-year-old man on trip to spread his father's ashes believed to have died of heat stroke in Utah national park

The body of 66-year-old James Bernard Hendricks — on a trip to spread his father's ashes — was found in Utah’s Arches National Park, the Associated Press reported, adding that it's believed he died of heat stroke.

What are the details?

His sister, Ruth Hendricks Brough, told MySanAntonio.com that park rangers believe he died from a combination of heat, high altitude, and dehydration.

Rangers found his vehicle at a trailhead parking lot after Hendricks was reported overdue the morning of Aug 1, the AP said, citing park officials. Hendricks' body was found off-trail, and Brough said in a social media post that his water bottle was empty, the AP added.

The National Park Service and the Grand County Sheriff's Office are investigating the death, the AP also said.

Arches National Park is located in a high-elevation desert north of Moab, Utah, the AP reported, adding that temperatures in the area were above 90 degrees on the afternoon before Hendricks was reported missing.

Brough told MySanAntonio.com that her brother loved nature and the mysteries of the universe and was taking photos of all the beauty as he went on his journey, which was to end in Reno, Nevada, where their dad, Neil Hendricks, lived much of his life.

Hendricks called his trip, "Last Journey With My Father," MySanAntonio.com added.

"He was a person who spread joy to every living thing he met, and to him, all the universe was alive, from human beings to fossils to stardust. It was all precious to him," Brough noted to MySanAntonio.com. "People all over the United States and many in other countries were friends with Jimmy. He was loved by countless people because he was an unusually kind, sweet person who made friends easily. Now all these people are grieving. It was a horrible shock."

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