Tourist suffers 3rd-degree burns to feet after losing flip-flops in Death Valley
A tourist from Belgium has been hospitalized in Las Vegas after suffering third-degree burns to his feet while walking on sand dunes in Death Valley, officials said.
The 42-year-old man was wearing flip flops when officials from the National Park Service said that they either broke or he lost them in the sand last Saturday at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley, according to a statement released on Tuesday.
Air temperatures were 123 degrees Fahrenheit at the time, but park officials say that the sand temperatures would have been much hotter.
"The man's family called for help and recruited other park visitors who carried the man to the parking lot," according to the NPS statement. "Park rangers determined the man needed to be transported to a hospital quickly due to his burns and pain level."
Mercy Air's helicopter was not able to safely land in Death Valley due to extreme temperatures which can reduce rotor lift so park rangers initially transported the victim by ambulance to a landing zone at higher elevation, which was 109 degrees. From there, the Belgian tourist was taken by Mercy Air to the University Medical Center in Las Vegas where he is being treated for his injuries.
"Park rangers recommend that summer travelers to Death Valley National Park stay within a 10-minute walk of an air conditioned vehicle, not hike after 10 a.m., drink plenty of water, eat salty snacks and wear a hat and sunscreen," said the National Park Service following the incident.
Being barefoot on sand can cause injuries sometimes known as "beach feet." According to a 2019 study, exposure to hot sand can result in first-degree, second-degree and, in rare cases, third-degree burns.
The study indicates that when the outside temperature is only 75 degrees Fahrenheit, sand can be as hot as 100 degrees or higher. When the outside temperature is 90 degrees, sand can hit above 120 degrees.
"As the temperature increases, the duration of exposure to the heat source required to result in thermal injury decreases," according to the study's researchers.
First-degree burns only affect the outermost layer of skin and appear as red, painful or dry with very rare long-term skin damage. Second-degree burns reach the second layer of skin, known as the dermis, with the burn site appearing red, blistered and painful.
Third-degree burns destroy the top two layers of skin and can cause damage to muscles, tendons and bones underneath the skin. Nerve endings are often damaged, resulting in numbness.
The American Burn Association recommends that patients with burns to the hands, feet, genitals or major joints be transferred to a burn center.
Treatments may include cleaning and covering the burn, replenishing fluids, antibiotics, pain medications, skin grafting or reconstructive surgery, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Experts recommend putting sunscreen on the feet to protect against the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays and lower the risk of skin cancer.
ABC News' Dr. Prapti Chatterjee-Murphy contributed to this report.
