According to park rangers on Thursday, a man aged 42 of Belgium was severely burned on his feet when he walked briefly with no shoes on at Mesquite Flat sand dunes in Death Valley National Park over the weekend. The visitor was immediately taken to a Nevada hospital. There were also language difficulties that make it impossible for the rangers to find out whether the flip-flops of this man broke or got lost during his walk.
The day would have had ground temperature much higher than the air temperature i.e about 123 degrees Fahrenheit (50.5 Celsius.) This summer, Death Valley National Park, which lies below sea level near the California-Nevada border, has seen record-breaking temperatures.
In addition to helping him reach the parking lot by other visitors, family members of this man also sought assistance from them. Rangers then moved him up higher for safe landing of a medical helicopter because rotor lift is reduced due to heat waves. The University Medical Centre in Las Vegas that houses Lions Burn Care Centre airlifted the Belgian man there.
During summer months, this center receives many patients from Nevada as well as Northern California who suffer contact burns like these ones inflicted on the Belgian tourist.
Aside from being hot enough for burns like those experienced by Belgian visitor, boiling asphalt and concrete leave small children at risk in desert southwest urban areas. Most patients admitted at Las Vegas burn should come from nearby urban area where summertime temperatures are often above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Hot surfaces such as sidewalks and patios are common causes of thermal injuries in Maricopa County , Arizona including Phoenix where you can sometimes see kids playing on playground equipment barefooted until they get their soles blistered off if not cooked first .
Recently a motorcyclist succumbed to heat related death at Death Valley hence exposing just how dangerous high air temperatures could be within this country’s boundary. At America’s lowest point known as Badwater Basin, there is a giant, red stop sign within the park that warns guests about exposure to extreme heat from 10am onward.
The park rangers would advise summer visitors not to hike into the valley after 10 am and stay within a ten-minute walk from an air-conditioned vehicle. It is also good for them to have enough of water, use salty snacks as well as wear hats and sunscreen while in such hot conditions.
