Death Valley Visitor's Skin Melted Off His Feet Due to Extreme Heat

Death Valley National Park has seen record-breaking heat this summer that presents a serious danger to visitors passing through, with one person even dying earlier this month. With temperatures soaring upwards of 120 degrees Fahrenheit and sand temperatures even hotter, keeping your skin protected is crucial. 

One recent visitor to Death Valley learned the hard way why safety is essential when visiting the park. According to a statement from the National Park Service, a 42-year-old Belgian tourist was walking on the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes on July 20 when he either broke or lost his flip-flops in the sand. The steaming sand ended up giving him third-degree burns on his feet. 

“The skin was melted off his foot," Death Valley National Park Service ranger Gia Ponce told The Los Angeles Times. “The ground can be much hotter—170 [or] 180 [degrees]. Sometimes up into the 200 range."

Authorities say the man was in extreme pain as his family got other visitors to help carry him to the dunes parking lot. There, park rangers looked at his injuries and determined he needed treatment. Unfortunately, because heat creates thinner air, a helicopter couldn't land to airlift him to a hospital, so they took him in an ambulance to higher ground where he was flown out.  

It goes without saying that going to Death Valley's sand dunes is nothing like going to other sandy locations. 

"People think it’s going to be like the beach where you can get out there with flip-flops or sandals, but because of the extreme temperatures, those dunes heat up just as much as the pavement does," Ponce said. The park rangers themselves don't play with the heat and often wear gloves when touching anything that's been in the sun. "We gingerly touch surfaces if we’re outside, like doorknobs," she said. 

If you plan to go to Death Valley this summer, don't do so without following NPS protocol and coming prepared with proper shoes, plenty of water, and a good amount of sunscreen.