A tourist from Belgium was hospitalized after walking barefoot at Death Valley National Park (Picture: Getty Images)
A European tourist discovered Death Valley’s near record-breaking heat the painful way.
The 42-year-old man from Belgium ’was taking a short walk on the sand dunes when he lost his shoes’ at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, according to the National Park Service (NPS).
He suffered ‘full-thickness burns on his feet’, stated the agency.
On Saturday, the temperature of the ground at Death Valley National Park, California, was around 123 degrees Fahrenheit – even hotter than the air.
The ground temperature in Death Valley on Saturday when the man burned his feet was 123 degrees Fahrenheit (Picture: Getty Images)
‘Due to communication challenges, park rangers were not able to determine if his flip flops broke or were lost in sand,’ stated the NPS on Tuesday.
The man’s family cried for help and other park visitors helped to carry the man to a car park.
Park rangers then determined that the victim needed to be rushed to a hospital ‘quickly due to his burns and pain level’, stated the NPS.
However, the extreme high temperature did not allow for an emergency helicopter to land in the valley. The heat can reduce rotor lift.
Instead, rangers transported the tourist in an ambulance to a higher elevation where the temperature was 109 degrees Fahrenheit. The chopper was able to reach the landing zone and airlifted the man to University Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Following the incident, the NPS reiterated advice to visitors during the summer.
‘Park rangers recommend that summer travelers to Death Valley National Park stay within a 10 minute walk of an air conditioned vehicle, not hike after 10am, drink plenty of water, eat salty snacks, and wear a hat and sunscreen,’ stated the agency.
The man burned his feet just weeks after hundreds of tourists from England, France, Spain, Switzerland and the US flocked to Death Valley during a heatwave to experience just how hot it was.
‘It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Kind of like walking on Mars,’ said Mississippi resident Drew Belt at the time.
The Belgian tourist was considered lucky despite suffering burns to his feet.
On July 6, a motorcyclist riding through the national park died of heat exposure as the temperature soared to 128 degrees Fahrenheit.
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