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A Belgian man, aged 42, suffered severe burns on his feet after briefly walking barefoot on the sand dunes at Mesquite Flat in California’s Death Valley National Park over the weekend, according to park rangers on Thursday. The visitor was immediately taken to a hospital in Nevada. Due to communication barriers, the rangers could not ascertain whether the man’s flip-flops had broken or were lost during his short walk on Saturday.
The ground temperature would have been significantly higher than the air temperature, which was approximately 123 degrees Fahrenheit (50.5 Celsius) that day.This summer, Death Valley National Park, situated below sea level near the California-Nevada border, has experienced record-breaking temperatures.
The man’s family sought assistance from other visitors to carry him to the parking lot. Rangers then transported him to a higher elevation where a medical helicopter could land safely, considering the extreme temperatures that reduce roto lift. The Belgian man was airlifted to the University Medical Centre in Las Vegas, which houses the Lions Burn Care Centre.
During the summer months, the centre receives numerous patients from Nevada and parts of California with contact burns similar to those suffered by the Belgian visitor.
In the urban areas of the desert Southwest, scorching hot surfaces like asphalt and concrete also pose a risk for severe burn injuries. The majority of patients at the Las Vegas burn centre come from the surrounding urban area, where summer temperatures regularly exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
In Arizona’s Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, thermal injuries from hot surfaces such as sidewalks, patios, and playground equipment are also common.
Earlier this month, a motorcyclist died from heat-related causes in Death Valley, highlighting the dangers of extreme air temperatures in the region. At Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America, the park has installed a large red stop sign warning visitors of the risks of extreme heat to their bodies after 10 am.
Park rangers advise summer visitors not to hike in the valley after 10 am. and to remain within a 10-minute walk of an air-conditioned vehicle. They also recommend drinking ample water, consuming salty snacks, and wearing a hat and sunscreen to stay safe in extreme conditions.
The ground temperature would have been significantly higher than the air temperature, which was approximately 123 degrees Fahrenheit (50.5 Celsius) that day.This summer, Death Valley National Park, situated below sea level near the California-Nevada border, has experienced record-breaking temperatures.
The man’s family sought assistance from other visitors to carry him to the parking lot. Rangers then transported him to a higher elevation where a medical helicopter could land safely, considering the extreme temperatures that reduce roto lift. The Belgian man was airlifted to the University Medical Centre in Las Vegas, which houses the Lions Burn Care Centre.
During the summer months, the centre receives numerous patients from Nevada and parts of California with contact burns similar to those suffered by the Belgian visitor.
In the urban areas of the desert Southwest, scorching hot surfaces like asphalt and concrete also pose a risk for severe burn injuries. The majority of patients at the Las Vegas burn centre come from the surrounding urban area, where summer temperatures regularly exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
In Arizona’s Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, thermal injuries from hot surfaces such as sidewalks, patios, and playground equipment are also common.
Earlier this month, a motorcyclist died from heat-related causes in Death Valley, highlighting the dangers of extreme air temperatures in the region. At Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America, the park has installed a large red stop sign warning visitors of the risks of extreme heat to their bodies after 10 am.
Park rangers advise summer visitors not to hike in the valley after 10 am. and to remain within a 10-minute walk of an air-conditioned vehicle. They also recommend drinking ample water, consuming salty snacks, and wearing a hat and sunscreen to stay safe in extreme conditions.
