Death Valley, located in California, USA, is one of the hottest places on earth, and this summer, temperatures have reached record highs. On Thursday, July 26th, park officials at Death Valley National Park reported that a European tourist sustained third-degree burns on his feet while walking barefoot on the sand dunes in the park on July 20th.
According to information released by Death Valley National Park, the tourist was urgently taken to a hospital in nearby Nevada. The injured individual is a 42-year-old from Belgium. Due to language barriers, park officials were initially unable to determine whether the tourist’s sandals broke or got lost while he was walking briefly on the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes.
The day of the incident saw temperatures soaring to a scorching 123 degrees Fahrenheit (50.5 degrees Celsius), with even higher temperatures on the ground. The man’s family sought help from other visitors to carry him to the parking lot.
Recognizing the severity of the man’s burns and pain, park officials deemed it necessary to quickly get him medical attention. They used an ambulance to transport the man to a higher-altitude location where a medical helicopter could safely land in the extreme heat. He was later transferred to the University Medical Center in Las Vegas for treatment.
According to the Associated Press, in this southwest desert region, scorching surfaces like asphalt and concrete are also contributing factors to catastrophic burns. The majority of patients at the Las Vegas Burn Center come from surrounding urban areas where summer temperatures frequently reach extreme highs.
In Maricopa County, Arizona, including cities like Phoenix, instances of people sustaining burns from hot surfaces like sidewalks, yards, and playground equipment are also common.
The temperatures in Death Valley are extremely dangerous. Earlier this month, a motorcyclist died from the high temperatures when it was 128 degrees Fahrenheit (53.3 degrees Celsius).
At the salt flats on the Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America within Death Valley, a large red “stop” sign has been installed by the park to warn visitors that extreme heat after 10 a.m. can be harmful to the body.
Park officials caution summer visitors against hiking in the valley after 10 a.m. to avoid potential hazards.