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Woman, 27, dies hiking in Utah desert

KANAB, Utah, July 23 (UPI) -- An Arizona woman died after suffering heat stroke while hiking with her husband Monday in the Utah desert, police said.

Elisabeth Ann Bervel, 27, of Mesa, Ariz., was hiking The Wave, a rock formation in the southern Utah desert famous to outdoor enthusiasts. The couple lost the trail and Bervel collapsed. Her husband left her to search for a cellphone signal. When he was able to call for help authorities dispatched a helicopter, the Salt Lake City Deseret News reported.

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Emergency responders said Bervel was in cardiac arrest. They performed CPR but could not revive the woman.

Officials said it was the fourth hiking-related fatality this summer in the area.

"This event once again demonstrates the inherent risks associated with hiking in southern Utah's desert country this time of year," the Kane County sheriff's office said in a statement. "Even though the Bervels had tried to make sure they were prepared for this hike, the elements proved to be stronger."

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