Tourist suffers horrific burns to his feet after walking through Death Valley in 120F weather with no flip flops

A Belgian tourist suffered horrific burns to his feet after he walked barefoot through Death Valley National Park in 120-degree Fahrenheit heat.

The unidentified 42-year-old man ventured onto Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes on Saturday, but was soon unable to walk and had to be carried to the trailhead by other park visitors, the National Park Service said.

He was then assessed by park rangers, who determined he had third-degree burns on his feet and needed urgent medical attention.

'The skin was melted off his foot,' Death Valley National Park Service Ranger Gia Ponce told the Los Angeles Times.

She noted that even though it was 123 degrees outside, 'the ground can be much hotter - 170, 180, sometimes up into the 200 range.'

A 42-year-old Belgian man had to be airlifted to a Las Vegas hospital after he suffered third-degree burns to his feet from walking barefoot at Death Valley National Park

'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 can heat up just as much as the pavement does,' Ponce explained.

It is now believed that the man had been wearing flip flops initially, but because of a language-barrier, rangers could not confirm whether he lost them or if they became buried in the sand.

The man's bad fortune continued when a Mercy Air Helicopter was not able to land in the extreme heat, which thins out the air and prevents helicopters from generating enough lift.

Rangers instead had to bring the tourist to a higher-elevation landing zone at 3,000 feet above sea level, where the 109-degree weather was cool enough for the helicopter to land safely.

He was then transported to a hospital in nearby Las Vegas, Nevada. The man's condition is unclear. 

It is believed the man was initially wearing flip flops, but it is unclear whether he lost them or if they became buried under sand dunes

But just two days earlier, on July 18, the same higher-elevation helicopter site had to be used for a woman who collapsed while hiking the Badlands Loop, Mercury News reports.

Her companion told park rangers they set out on the two-and-a-half mile loop at around 9.30am, when the temperature was around 110 degrees.

But a wrong turn extended their hike, and the unidentified woman was unable to keep walking.

Her hiking companion then returned to the parking lot alone, but found it had no cell phone service to call for help.

Finally at around 11am, another park visitor arrived at the Furnace Creek visitor center to report the emergency.

Park-goers then carried the unconscious woman to the trailhead, and an ambulance brought her to the helicopter.

She was then flown to a Las Vegas hospital for treatment of heat illness, park officials said.

Rangers advise travelers to avoid hiking at Death Valley National Park after 10am

Meanwhile, on July 6, one of six German men traveling by motorcycle died of heat illness as temperatures reached 128-degrees. 

Authorities now advise visitors to stay close to air conditioned areas, remain hydrated, use sunscreen and avoid hiking after 10am.

Rangers also say travelers should stay within a 10-minute walk of an air conditioned vehicle.