Researchers estimate the summer of 2024 is on its way to beating last year’s summer as the hottest on record since the mid-1800s. In the Northern Hemisphere, the months of June and July saw scorching heat waves. Recently, a tourist visiting Death Valley experienced just that after suffering third-degree burns while walking barefoot through sand dunes as air temperatures reached 123 degrees.
An unnamed tourist from Belgium has been hospitalized for the third-degree burns he received after losing his flip-flops in the desert region. Officials from the National Park Service of America believe the 42-year-old tourist either lost his flip-flops or damaged them as he trekked through the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, which are located in north-east California. The air temperatures in Death Valley had reached 123 degrees Fahrenheit, however, park officials believe the sand temperatures were much hotter.
According to the NPS’s recent statement regarding the situation, the Belgian man’s family called for help, and other visitors of the park helped carry the man to the parking lot for safety. Once on scene, park rangers quickly determined that the tourist needed to be transported to a hospital immediately due to the severe burns and pain level the Belgian man had experienced. Due to the extreme temperatures and elevation, a medical helicopter was not able to land at the tourist’s location. Therefore, the man had to be rushed by ambulance to a helicopter landing zone with a higher elevation. From there, the tourist was airlifted by Mercy Air to the University Medical Center of Las Vegas to be treated for his injuries.
Due to the severe temperatures, park rangers in Death Valley recommend travelers stay within a 10-minute walk of an air-conditioned vehicle, drink plenty of water, wear sunscreen, and not hike after 10 a.m. According to a 2019 study, sand that is hot enough can result in first—and second-degree burns and, rarely, third-degree burns.