DEATH VALLEY, Calif. (KTNV) — Park rangers said bystanders in Death Valley National Park saved a woman's life after she was suffering from a heat-related illness.
On July 18, authorities said a man and woman started hiking in the park around 9:30 a.m. in the Badlands Loop. Temperatures were around 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
According to the park rangers, the man told them they had gotten lost during their hike and the woman was unable to continue walking.
The man found his way back to a parking lot at Zabriskie Point to search for help.
Authorities said there is no cell phone service in that area, so a bystander had to drive five miles to report the medical emergency at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center around 11 a.m.
Temperatures had climbed to around 115 degrees Fahrenheit around that time, according to authorities.
When park rangers responded to the Zabriskie Point parking lot, they found bystanders carrying the unconscious woman. Park rangers began to cool the woman down and start her transportation to a hospital.
Park rangers said they took the woman to a landing zone at 3,000 feet where she was airlifted to Centennial Hills Hospital in Las Vegas where she was treated by medical personnel.
According to park rangers, helicopters produce less lift-off in hot air, so they had to move to a location with cooler air for a quicker takeoff.
Death Valley National Park has provided these tips to protect yourself in extreme heat:
- Avoid the heat:
- Stay in air conditioning, or not more than a ten-minute walk away from it.
- Do not hike at low elevations after 10am.
- Travel only on paved roads. If your vehicle breaks down, stay with your vehicle so you have shelter and can be found more easily.
- Know your limits and acclimatize to heat.
- Avoid the sun:
- Seek shade during the hottest time of the day.
- Wear a hat and consider carrying an umbrella.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Eat salty snacks.
