2024-07-25 12:34:13
A Belgian tourist received 3rd degree burns on his legs while hiking in the mountains in the US. The 42-year-old Belgian tourist chose to walk the sand dunes in the Californian part of Death Valley on July 20. Temperatures exceeded 50 degrees Celsius.
“The man lost his shoes during the hike where the air temperature was 123 degrees Fahrenheit and the ground temperature should have been much higher,” the park service said in a statement.
“Due to communication problems, park rangers were unable to determine whether his flip flops had torn or gotten lost in the sand,” the service said. The man’s family called for help and other park visitors carried him to the parking lot.
Because of the burns and the extent of the pain, park rangers determined that he needed to be rushed to the hospital. He was hospitalized after suffering third-degree burns on his legs.
According to the Stanford Medical Office, third-degree burns destroy 2 layers of skin and can damage bones, muscles and tendons. The burned area appears white or charred and has no sensation because the nerve endings are destroyed.
The accident happened just 2 weeks after a motorcyclist died in Death Valley from heat exposure, bTV reported.
According to preliminary data, the high temperature that day was 53 degrees Celsius. The next day, Death Valley hit 54 degrees, which hasn’t happened since July of 2021.
So far this month, Death Valley has seen 20 days with temperatures above 48 degrees. The average temperature in Death Valley in July is 47 degrees.