A Belgian tourist suffered horrific burns to his feet after walking barefoot through Death Valley National Park in 120-degree Fahrenheit heat.
The unidentified 42-year-old man ventured out to hike the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes on Saturday but soon became unable to walk and had to be carried back to the trailhead by other park visitors, the National Park Service said.
He was then evaluated by rangers, who determined he had third-degree burns on his feet and needed urgent medical attention.
“The skin on his foot melted off,” said Gia Ponce, a ranger with the Death Valley National Park Service. He told the Los Angeles Times.
He noted that although it was 123 degrees outside, “the ground can be much hotter: 170, 180, sometimes up to 200 degrees.”
A 42-year-old Belgian man had to be airlifted to a Las Vegas hospital after suffering third-degree burns to his feet from walking barefoot in Death Valley National Park.
“People think it’s going to be like the beach, where you can go out in flip-flops or sandals, but because of the extreme temperatures, those dunes can get as hot as the pavement,” Ponce said.
It is now believed the man was initially wearing flip-flops, but due to a language barrier rangers were unable to confirm whether he lost them or if they were buried in the sand.
The man’s bad luck continued when a Mercy Air helicopter was unable to land due to extreme heat, which thins the air and prevents… Helicopters cannot generate enough lift.
Instead, rangers had to take the tourist to a higher landing zone, 3,000 feet above sea level, where the 109-degree temperature was cool enough for the helicopter to land safely.
He was then taken to a hospital in nearby Las Vegas, Nevada. His condition is unclear.
The man is believed to have initially been wearing flip-flops, but it is unclear whether he lost them or they were buried under the sand dunes.
But just two days earlier, on July 18, the same higher-altitude helicopter site had to be used for a woman who collapsed while hiking the Badlands Loop. Mercury News report.
His partner told rangers they set out on the two-and-a-half-mile trek around 9:30 a.m., when the temperature was around 110 degrees.
But a wrong turn prolonged the walk and the unidentified woman was unable to continue walking.
His hiking partner then returned to the parking lot alone, but found he had no cell phone signal to call for help.
Finally, around 11 a.m., another park visitor arrived at the Furnace Creek visitor center to report the emergency.
Park visitors carried the unconscious woman to the trailhead and an ambulance took her to the helicopter.
She was then airlifted to a Las Vegas hospital for treatment of heat illness, park officials said.
Park rangers advise travelers to avoid hiking in Death Valley National Park after 10 a.m.
Meanwhile, on July 6, one of six Germans riding a motorcycle died from heatstroke when temperatures reached 128 degrees.
Authorities now recommend visitors stay near air-conditioned areas, stay hydrated, wear sunscreen and avoid walking after 10 a.m.
Rangers also recommend that travelers stay within a 10-minute walk of an air-conditioned vehicle.