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A European visitor suffered third-degree burns on his feet while walking barefoot on the sand dunes in Death Valley National Park in California over the weekend. The 42-year-old Belgian man was rushed to a hospital in Nevada after his family called for help. It is unclear whether his flip-flops were lost or broken during his short walk on the scorching hot sand, where temperatures reached 123F (50.5C).

The incident serves as a reminder of the extreme heat and dangers that visitors can face in Death Valley, which has seen record highs this summer. Blazing hot surfaces in urban areas of the desert southwest can also pose a risk of catastrophic burn injuries. Patients with contact burns are often treated at the Lions Burn Care Center in Las Vegas, where the Belgian man was flown for treatment.

Thermal injuries from hot surfaces are common in the desert regions, such as sidewalks and playground equipment in Arizona’s Maricopa county. In Death Valley, where a motorcyclist recently died from heat-related causes, park rangers advise travelers to avoid hiking after 10am and to stay close to air-conditioned vehicles. Visitors are urged to stay hydrated, eat salty snacks, wear sunscreen, and heed warning signs about extreme heat in the area.

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Photo credit www.theguardian.com