A missing man and his grandson died in the desert, miles away from each other, after the 12-year-old left with the car keys to get help.
The two had been hiking a mountainous historical trail at Gila Bend in Arizona on Tuesday morning, and apparently separated when the older man encountered some difficulties.
Investigators think 63-year-old Thomas Gillespie might have had a medical emergency which ultimately led to his death, but his grandson, Robert Miller, perished from prolonged exposure to the blisteringly hot climate.
His body was located less than two miles from their vehicle and his grandfather’s about five miles away. Neither had a cell phone on them.
It also appeared that they hadn’t packed adequate provisions -- if any -- for the demanding trek, which may have been what triggered a series of catastrophic missteps.
Temperatures were in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the Gila Bend region during the time the pair had been unaccounted for.
Autopsies are still pending.
