Friends died in 50C desert valley hike near Dubai

Two friends died while hiking in up to 50C (122F) heat in a desert valley near Dubai, an inquest heard.

Rescue teams discovered the bodies of Aran Martinson, 33, and Cassius Newton, 34, in the holy mountainous region of Wadi Naqab on 18 July.

The men, from Essex and Dorset respectively, both worked in the United Arab Emirates and had set off for their trek at about 07:00 local time (04:00 BST).

Opening an inquest in Chelmsford, area coroner Michelle Brown said their provisional causes of death included cardiac and respiratory arrest.

Severe rising body temperature and organ failure, and heat stress due to exposure to high temperature were also factors in their deaths, Brown added.

Both men lived in the luxury resort of Ras Al Khaimah, about 75 miles (120km) north of Dubai.

Newton's wife, who was in the UK, reported him missing when he failed to contact her after beginning the hike, Essex Coroner's Court heard.

"It appears they'd gone on a route that's a recreational route not needing climbing equipment, so it was a walking route," Brown said.

The friends were discovered between 3km and 4km (1.8 miles and 2.5 miles) from their vehicle, and their bodies were 350m (1,148ft) apart.

The coroner said Newton, an amateur footballer originally from Poole, and father -of-three Martinson were both lying on their backs surrounded by large rocks.

They were taken to hospital in Ras Al Khaimah but pronounced dead later that day.

Martinson was described in court as having recently moved to the area as part of his work for a "global company".

In a public post on his LinkedIn profile, his wife said he was "incredibly driven, hardworking and ambitious."

She added: "He had only recently started a new chapter in his career, and I know how excited he was about it."

Tributes were also paid to Newton by football clubs he used to play for, including National League side Eastleigh - which said it was "deeply saddened" by the news.

An inquest would be heard at a date yet to be fixed, the coroner said as she concluded the hearing.

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