Death Valley sand dune leaves hiker with third-degree burns

Las Vegas Review-Journal

24 hours ago

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park (National Park Service)

The National Park Service ambulance and Mercy Air’s air ambulance at the landing zone at 3,000 feet just east of Death Valley National Park’s CA-190 east entrance. (National Park Service)

A person wipes sweat from their brow at Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park, Calif., Sunday, July 7, 2024. Forecasters say a heat wave could break previous records across the U.S., including in Death Valley. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)

A Belgian man suffered third-degree burns on his feet in Death Valley National Park while briefly walking barefoot on sand dunes.

The National Park Service said the 42-year-old man had been taking a short walk Saturday at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes.

Park Service rangers said there were “communication challenges” in determining whether the man’s flip-flops had been broken or they had somehow been lost.

The air temperature was 123 degrees at the time, with the sand dunes being considerably hotter, park officials said.

The man’s family carried him from the sand to the parking lot with the help of other park visitors and called for help.

Rangers then drove him to a higher elevation where a medical helicopter would be able to safely land amid extreme temperatures, which reduce roto lift. Mercy Air then flew the man to University Medical Center in Las Vegas.

UMC operates the Lions Burn Care Center. During the summer, many patients from Nevada and parts of California go to the center with contact burns such as the ones the Belgian man suffered.

Blazing hot surfaces like asphalt and concrete are also a danger for catastrophic burn injuries in the urban areas of the desert Southwest. The bulk of the Las Vegas burn center’s patients come from the surrounding urban area, which regularly sees summertime highs in the triple digits.

Officials recommend that park visitors stay within a 10-minute walk of an air-conditioned vehicle and to not hike at all after 10 a.m. Rangers also recommend drinking plenty of water, eating salty snacks and wearing a hat and sunscreen.

A large red stop sign in Death Valley’s Badwater Basin reinforces the message, warning visitors of the dangers of extreme heat.

Contact Taylor Lane at tlane@reviewjournal.com.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.