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Park rangers rescue man stranded in steep gully in Death Valley

Park rangers at Death Valley National Park in California rescued a man who got stranded in a steep and unstable gully, the National Park Service said Sunday.

Two Belgian men were on a hike on Wednesday in Mosaic Canyon when they decided to split up, with one hiker on the main trail and the other heading to a side canyon with plans to loop back to the main trail, according to park officials. 

But the man on the side canyon got stuck as the path got steeper and more unstable. The man was able to call for help using his satellite phone, according to officials. He had no food, water or extra clothing. 

"Park rangers scaled the steep, loose slope and reached the man 40 minutes after sunset," the National Park Service said in a news release

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A hiker, highlighted with a black circle, stranded in Death Valley. Spencer Solomon/National Park Service

Park rangers were able to provide the hiker with a harness and lowered him down the slope.

The rescue crew and hiker reached the trailhead around 7 p.m.

Mosiac Canyon is a four-mile round trip and takes up to three hours to complete, according to the National Park Service.

Visits to Death Valley National Park have spiked in recent years due to visitors wanting to experience the extreme heat, which reached a record last summer of 104.5 degrees Fahrenheit

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