Death Valley tourist suffers third-degree burns on feet after losing flip-flops on dunes

A Belgian tourist suffered third-degree burns on his feet during a visit to Death Valley National Park over the weekend.

According to the National Park Service, the 42-year-old man was taking a walk on the sand dunes when he lost his flip-flops. The air temperature at the time, officials said, was around 123 degrees and the ground temperature would have been “much hotter.”

A Death Valley National Park ranger told the Los Angeles Times that the ground temperature can reach 170 to 180 degrees and has even been known to get as high as 200 degrees.

“The skin was melted off his foot,” Park Ranger Gia Ponce told the Times.

The man’s family called for help and other park visitors came to his aid to carry him to the nearby parking lot to await paramedics.

Officials said he suffered “full-thickness” burns on his feet and was in significant pain, but due to the extreme heat in the area, a helicopter was unable to fly and safely land in the area.

Instead, a ground ambulance rushed the man to a higher elevation where temperatures were slightly cooler, still around 109 degrees, which allowed for a helicopter to land and fly him to a Las Vegas hospital.

Officials urge visitors to take necessary precautions when exploring Death Valley, which is the driest, lowest and hottest of all the nation’s parks.

Rangers recommend visitors stay within 10 minutes of an air-conditioned vehicle, drink lots of water, eat salty snacks, wear sunscreen and appropriate clothing, and not hike after 10 a.m.