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The name of Death Valley National Park really tells you all you need to know about the dangers that come with visiting the preserve, and we’ve been treated to another reminder of those risks due to a European tourist who fell victim to a gruesome injury there last weekend.
There isn’t a single place on the planet that has ever boasted a higher temperature than Death Valley, the 5,270-square-mile expanse in California where a thermometer at the aptly named Furnace Creek reached more than 134°F on July 10, 1913 (which is recognized by the World Meteorological Organization as the highest number ever officially recorded).
Death Valley National Park has spent close to a century welcoming visitors from around the globe who are willing to endure the elements to experience its stunning landscape and the many natural wonders it boasts, and anyone who makes the trek there is advised to keep a lengthy list of guidelines in mind to avoid adding another tally to the list of the 62 people who’ve died there since 2007.
While I wouldn’t describe myself as a serious outdoorsman, I don’t think you need to fall under that umbrella to know what you’re signing up for if you opt to visit Death Valley during the hottest months of the year—a decision you should only make if you’re going to be equipped with the supplies you need to endure what it can throw at you.
According to The Los Angeles Times, a 42-year-old tourist from Belgium who visited Death Valley on July 20th failed to do that after arriving at the park in a pair of flip-flops that became dislodged from his feet when he was hiking on the Mesquite Valley Sand Dunes.
The air temperature at the time was hovering around 123°F, but according to National Park Service Ranger Gia Ponce, the temperature of the sand was likely between 170°F and 200°F. That led to the man quickly developing third-degree burns, and Ponce painted a gory mental picture of the scene in question by saying, “The skin was melted off his foot”
A group of visitors managed to carry the victim to safety before he received first aid and was placed in an ambulance that transported him to an area where he could be airlifted to Las Vegas for further treatment.
Gnarly stuff.