Woman with heat illness rescued – Death Valley – Sierra Wave: Eastern Sierra News

Death Valley National Park
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior, CA Highway 190
PO Box 579
Death Valley, California 92328

Phone 760.786.3200
Death Valley National Park
Press release

Release date: July 19, 2024
Contact: Abby Wines, 760-786-3221, (email protected)

DEATH VALLEY, Calif. – Bystanders helped rescue a woman suffering from heat illness in Death Valley National Park on July 18.

A man and woman began hiking the Badlands Loop at 9:30 a.m. in temperatures in the 100s. The man later told park rangers that their hike was prolonged because they got lost. Eventually, the woman could not continue walking and the man returned to the Zabriskie Point parking lot to get help.

There is no cell reception in the area. A passerby drove five miles to report the medical emergency at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center around 11:00 a.m. The air temperature at the time was about 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

When the park rangers arrived a few minutes later, passersby carried the unconscious woman to the parking lot.

Park rangers cooled the woman in the NPS ambulance and drove to the hospital.

In hot air, the rotor blades produce less lift and some helicopters cannot fly in temperatures above 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Park rangers took the woman to a landing zone 3,000 feet up, where it was cool enough for the rescue helicopter to land safely. Mercy Air took the woman to Centennial Hills Hospital in Las Vegas.

For a visit to Death Valley National Park in summer, park rangers give the following advice:

Avoid heat:

• Stay in an air-conditioned room or no more than a ten-minute walk away from it.
• Do not hike at low altitudes after 10 a.m.
• Drive only on paved roads. If your vehicle breaks down, stay with your vehicle so you have protection and can be found more easily.
• Know your limits and get used to the heat.

Avoid the sun:

• Seek shade during the hottest times of the day.
• Wear a hat and, if necessary, carry an umbrella in your bag.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Eat salty snacks.

A sign at the Badlands Loop Trailhead at Zabriskie Point provides heat safety information.
NPS Photo

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