LA heatwave claims cyclist as victim

Record temperatures in Los Angeles, California over the weekend may have contributed to the death of 49 year-old cyclist Robert John Stoffel of La Cañada Flintridge, who died last Sunday.

Temperatures soared above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) in the Woodland Hills area, and were in the 90s in La Tuna Canyon near Glendale, where Stoffel was riding, said Los Angeles police Sargeant Teresa Coyle to the Los Angeles Daily News.

The cyclist began his training ride at around 7:30am with two other friends, but his companions turned around because of the extreme heat. When one of Stoffel's friends noticed he was no longer behind them, she returned to find him slumped over his handlebars, but unconscious.

By the time Los Angeles Fire Department personnel reached the scene at 9:45am, Stoffel was dead; however, it is still unsure whether his death was related to heat exhaustion.