Hiker Dies in South Dakota Badlands After Challenge

One person has died after a known social media challenge gained popularity in the Midwest which features South Dakota's Badlands National Park.

According to the Associated Press, a 22 year-old from St. Louis, MO. Maxwell Right, took the hiking challenge with a friend ran out of water and died from dehydration. His companion, a 21 year-old also from Missouri, was flown to a Rapid City hospital suffering from dehydration and exposure.

“We’ve said many times, you have to have enough water, water, water. But I don’t think people understand and they underestimate the heat, especially in the Badlands.” Pennington County Sheriff’s office spokeswoman Helene Duhamel

The details of the challenge were not found on social media - and some sites and sources claim this isn't the case - but authorities believe "it's out there" and involves unmarked trails.

Having hiked the Badlands before, I know there are very limited places to find water. And if you do, you'll need a water filtration system and/or iodine tablets to purify it.

The Badlands was near 100 degree for most of the week. Maxwell died on Wednesday.