It's summertime here in our part of the world and here in the southwest, well like elsewhere, it gets hot. Every summer we have illegal aliens dying in the desert. Most are female, slightly overweight, and all from hyPERthermic dehydration. The problem is, that's just the end result and it's easy to presume that the dehydration occurred only because the person didn;t have enough water. But I've come to the conclusion that there's usually an underlying condition or circumstance that leads to the dehydration.

In "most" of these alien death cases, there is water available to the person who died. So then there are guesses as to the onset of the dehydration. Now if we just consider Mexican aliens, these people will travel by bus from wherever in their country. Then, they'll sometimes wait for days and weeks along the border, making arrangements and waiting for their group to cross. During this time, they're out of their home element, eating poorly, possibly drinking some bad water here and there, and suffering worry and stress. The womenfolk are housewives, not mountainbikers, so the initial jaunt even in good health is hard for them, leaving aside all the other factors. Then, to top it off, there've been reports (unsubstantiated as of yet) that the guides will often recommend or dole out pills (probably amphetamines) to help boost their energy for the initial hike.

I know this was a little OT, but in this soldier's case, I tend to think of pre-existing conditions when I hear a story like that. Not necessarily long-term conditions, it could be as simple as a mild flu virus that he might have contracted the very day he set out.

I have to agree with some others though, the story leaves alot to be desired and it all sounds strange. There are too many reasons for a trained military professional NOT to die in that neck of the woods.