You're hiking through the steep hills
of Death Valley
with the blazing Sun
beating down.
After months of planning this dream trip,
you're finally at your destination.
You take pictures to capture the moment,
when suddenly, you realize you're lost.
Your relaxing nature trip has now
turned into a battle to stay alive.
Death Valley is the hottest place on Earth,
with a record-setting air temperature of
57 °C (134 °F).
It's a vast desert of
oppressive heat and frequent wind.
And no one really knows how many
people are lost there every year.
Well, the answer's probably zero,
since the majority
of Death Valley has no cell service.
You're on your own here.
The good news is,
you won't need to worry about getting wet,
since Death Valley has recorded multiple
years with little to no rainfall.
Unfortunately, this means
you are in for a full day
of blistering Sun,
with temperatures averaging between
And that's just in the shade.
Now that you're completely lost,
what is the best way
to survive in Death Valley?
It's time to act like
you're on another planet, since
only a small part of Death Valley has
cell phone reception,
as survivor Donna Cooper
learned the hard way.
On a Thursday morning in July,
Donna and her daughter
picked up a friend to visit
Scotty's Castle,
located in a corner of
Death Valley National Park.
They were smart enough to have
prepared for the trip
by loading their car with water.
After an exhausting day,
Donna used her GPS
to navigate the return trip.
Don't trust technology.
The GPS lead her astray
and they became hopelessly lost.
They urgently tried to call 911,
but there was no cell signal
in the hellish wasteland.
As they drove for hours without
any sense of direction,
they were lucky enough to
find an abandoned campsite
with trailers that provided protection
from the grueling Sun,
along with some leftover hose water.
After three days of struggling to survive,
and not knowing if anyone was even
looking for them,
they were located with an
extensive helicopter search.
Drink at least four liters (one gallon)
of water per day to replace
the water lost from excessive sweating.
The more you exert yourself,
the more you need to drink.
So limit your actions
and conserve your water
as much as possible.
Watch for symptoms of dehydration,
which include fast pulse rate,
headache, dizziness, muscle cramps,
and a heat rash.
Be careful while seeking
out essential shade.
You may not need to worry
about getting desperately stuck,
but you do need to worry
about running into any of the native
species lurking around.
Death Valley is home to
black widow spiders,
rattlesnakes,
scorpions,
and coyotes,
so be extra cautious where
you shelter and tread.
Sharing your space
here could make you
even more vulnerable.
Yes, remaining calm is always important.
But in this case,
you also need to
keep your body cool.
The best way to do this is to avoid
wandering aimlessly after 10 a.m.,
especially in low-lying areas,
which are the hottest.
It might be a good idea
to become nocturnal
for the next 24 hours.
You need to do whatever you can
to assist any potential search team.
If you planned ahead
and checked in at the visitor center,
someone will follow up
and know you're missing.
And if you packed properly,
you may have a flare that you can
set off to attract the rescue team.
If not, you will need to
get creative and find a way
to signal a passing helicopter.
But remember, you must be continuously
helping with your own rescue,
so you'll need to stay awake.
This could prove difficult
as the intense heat makes
you so, so drowsy.
To fight the urge,
check out another helpful video,
How to Survive Without Sleep.