A Belgian tourist suffers severe burns in the scorching heat of Death Valley

A 42-year-old Belgian tourist was hospitalized after suffering third-degree burns on his feet while hiking in the sand dunes of California's Death Valley National Park. On the day of the incident, temperatures in the park had risen above 120 degrees. The man, whose identity has not been released, lost his shoes during a short walk on the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. The air temperature at the time was recorded at 123 degrees Fahrenheit, and the ground temperature is expected to be significantly higher.

Park rangers were unable to determine whether the man's flip-flops broke or were lost in the sand due to communication difficulties. The tourist's family called for help and other park visitors helped carry him to a nearby parking lot. Given the severity of his burns and his level of pain, park rangers decided he needed immediate hospitalization.

Initial attempts to transport the man to a hospital were thwarted by the impact of the heat on flying conditions. As a result, park rangers transported him to higher elevation in an ambulance, from where he was taken to the University of Las Vegas Medical Center.

According to Stanford Medicine, third-degree burns are severe and destroy two layers of skin and can damage bones, muscles and tendons. The burned area often appears white or charred and has no sensation due to nerve damage.

This incident came just two weeks after a motorcyclist succumbed to heat exposure in Death Valley. The park has experienced 20 days with temperatures above 120 degrees this month, including every day from July 15 through at least Tuesday. The average temperature in Death Valley in July is 117 degrees.

Despite, or perhaps because of, the extreme summer heat, Death Valley National Park remains a popular tourist attraction. Known as one of the hottest places on Earth, the park attracted around 1.1 million visitors in 2023. The park responded to 88 emergency medical calls and 23 search and rescue requests l 'last year, and visitors warned to expect high temperatures of 100 to 100C. 130 degrees.