Dakar Rally death caused by hyperthermia and dehydration

Last week, the gruelling 2015 Dakar Rally claimed its first victim. Though the circumstances surrounding the death of Michal Henrik were unclear, now, the result of the tests performed by doctors has been released and it indicates that the Polish motorcyclist died of hyperthermia and dehydration.

39-year old Michal Henrik was running on 84th position of the overall rankings in the third stage of the rally, when the GPS signal from his KTM 450 Rally Replica was lost, 40 minutes later, the helicopter from the search party found Henrik’s body around 206 kilometres into the third stage, between San Juan and Chilecito in Argentina. Henrik had removed his helmet before his death and his motorcycle didn’t bear any signs of a crash. 

Hyperthermia is a medical condition caused by excessive body heat while dehydration is caused by low water levels in the body. As the Dakar rally is conducted through the harshest of the environments of South America, Henrik probably succumbed due to the prolonged exposure in the brutal conditions and the lack of water. 

Though Henrik had previously completed other endurance challenges like the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and the Morocco Rally, this was his first Dakar Rally. Our thoughts and condolences go out to Henrik’s family and friends.