23 thoughts on “One Family's Desperate Attempt to Survive in the Scorching Desert | The Death Valley Germans Story”
The Panamint mountains (in Death Valley) is an amazing place to camp. Fields of wild flowers, little pools of water surrounded by trees to bathe in, the bats covering the sky (and disappearing) for a precise time about 5 pm every night, packs of wild burros, spectacular view of the stars…..
Currently live in a high desert in Ca not terribly far from death valley. I have only been here 3 months but its intense. Its impossible nearly to tolerate being outside miday for more than 1-2 hours with the hot dry dusty wind and no shade really. I cannor farhom the suffering.
Visiting Death Valley out of the main road without appropriate car and knowledge about the area, and not enough money…with young kids on board it’s selfish and stupid…I’m speechless about the bad decisions of the parents…last time I went to Death Valley, leaving the car was like being slapped in the face by a wall of heat…I’m profoundly sad for the kids and the mother of the boy in Germany.
However there is a cautionary tale here for eco tourists & international travelers writ large. With the exception of the Alps and regions of Eastern Europe there is little terrain throughout Western Europe that could provide proper mental maps to draw from for a family stranded in the Mojave.
Although I personally believe that Dutch tourists, Kris Kremers & Lisanne Froon were victims of a local gang/crime when they disappeared in Panama in 2014, they also may have misinterpreted the Pianista Trail thinking it was built in the loop fashion that’s common in the Netherlands. When far from home it’s best to exercise hyper-caution and accept that one’s overall intelligence is irrelevant when not familiar with the terrain, weather patterns and local customs.
Its the same whether desert or jungle— bring extra food (biscuits), extra H2O and a small tarp for shelter. Then just keep on walking knowing you have these provisions 😊
They must have misjudged the distance from Death Valley to Yosemite, if thay's where they thought they were headed. Germany is smaller than Montana. They must have had no idea.
Omg this is so awful. I wonder how his x wife feels about not sending money to help them have a place to sleep. I can only imagine. Idk why they didn’t stay in those cabins they found. That’s what I would think I would have done had I gotten stuck with my kids. Idk tho wow this is just so horrible. I can’t imagine how they all felt at the end, when they knew no one was coming for them. R.I.P. to them all. I am so truly sorry that your trip to America somewhere you were all so excited to go turned into your worst nightmare. Really so truly sorry. 🩷💙🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽💚🩵
I almost blacked out on a scuba dive and another time almost stepped off a cliff during a hike. Anyone who chastises these people need to remember we all do dangerous and questionable things in our lives. We're just lucky enough to live.
People typically hear the word desert, and they automatically think hot, dry and sandy. They don’t understand how the sun beats down on the ground for hours each day. That ground absorbs the heat and reflects it back, seemingly increasing the temperature. People guzzle down what little water they may have brought with them, not realizing that the ground indeed, is increasing the temperature. With the water, people feel an energy surge and forge ahead, getting themselves in deeper trouble. Their water gets low, but they still have a return trip to make. They strip off their clothing, in an effort to cool down, but the unbearable heat quickly eats at their reserves, as the sun burns their skin. They consume more water, get another energy surge and try to rush back, not realizing how far they’ve come. They finally begin to cool off, but soon realize the sun is setting. They have no food, no water reserves, no flashlight, and made no markers to guide themselves back. When the sun sets, it takes most of the heat, and all of the light with it. Winds pick up and blow the sand around, disorienting all. Then, the temperature drops — far and fast. People will soon find themselves hungry, thirsty, weak, disoriented, and cold. Very, very cold. That, my friends, is just a quick summary of what can happen to you in a typical American desert, based on personal experience of living for 26+ years in the high deserts of the southern Rocky Mountains. Deserts are no joke. They are not just “cool places” to check out. And you — unless you were born and raised in the Sahara — likely do not have the basic skills and knowledge required to unknowingly explore these vast, arid, brown expanses on God’s otherwise green Earth. If you want to explore our deserts, make a detailed plan of time and location. Write it down in detail and give it to a trusted person. Take much more water than you think you’ll need, and be careful. We only have one life. Don’t lose yours from delusions of self-confidence. One stumble could break a bone. One moment resting against a rock could startle a scorpion. One tumble could wake a hungry rattler. A medical emergency in the desert could literally kill you. Other than all that (and more), enjoy your time carefully exploring our deserts. Live to tell about it another day. 🙂
The Panamint mountains (in Death Valley) is an amazing place to camp. Fields of wild flowers, little pools of water surrounded by trees to bathe in, the bats covering the sky (and disappearing) for a precise time about 5 pm every night, packs of wild burros, spectacular view of the stars…..
Currently live in a high desert in Ca not terribly far from death valley. I have only been here 3 months but its intense. Its impossible nearly to tolerate being outside miday for more than 1-2 hours with the hot dry dusty wind and no shade really. I cannor farhom the suffering.
Its in the name death valley, I'd rather go to murder and dismember me canyon
Visiting Death Valley out of the main road without appropriate car and knowledge about the area, and not enough money…with young kids on board it’s selfish and stupid…I’m speechless about the bad decisions of the parents…last time I went to Death Valley, leaving the car was like being slapped in the face by a wall of heat…I’m profoundly sad for the kids and the mother of the boy in Germany.
So sad those poor little kids 😢😢
You couldn't pay me to visit death valley…what a heartbreaking story…especially the children…💔
Drinks beer in the desert….. why, dude?
Insane how people will enter harsh environments completely unprepared.
Highly speculative.
However there is a cautionary tale here for eco tourists & international travelers writ large. With the exception of the Alps and regions of Eastern Europe there is little terrain throughout Western Europe that could provide proper mental maps to draw from for a family stranded in the Mojave.
Although I personally believe that Dutch tourists, Kris Kremers & Lisanne Froon were victims of a local gang/crime when they disappeared in Panama in 2014, they also may have misinterpreted the Pianista Trail thinking it was built in the loop fashion that’s common in the Netherlands. When far from home it’s best to exercise hyper-caution and accept that one’s overall intelligence is irrelevant when not familiar with the terrain, weather patterns and local customs.
Why would any tourist want to go there with those temperatures? Stay by the coast
Strange holiday to take young children on.
Absolutely bizarre.
Its the same whether desert or jungle— bring extra food (biscuits), extra H2O and a small tarp for shelter. Then just keep on walking knowing you have these provisions 😊
They must have misjudged the distance from Death Valley to Yosemite, if thay's where they thought they were headed. Germany is smaller than Montana. They must have had no idea.
Omg this is so awful. I wonder how his x wife feels about not sending money to help them have a place to sleep. I can only imagine. Idk why they didn’t stay in those cabins they found. That’s what I would think I would have done had I gotten stuck with my kids. Idk tho wow this is just so horrible. I can’t imagine how they all felt at the end, when they knew no one was coming for them. R.I.P. to them all. I am so truly sorry that your trip to America somewhere you were all so excited to go turned into your worst nightmare. Really so truly sorry. 🩷💙🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽💚🩵
They did everything wrong.
STOP CALLING THEM “THE GERMANS”!!!!!! THEY ARE HUMAN BEINGS!!!!!!!
My God, this is a horror story. Those poor people.
I almost blacked out on a scuba dive and another time almost stepped off a cliff during a hike. Anyone who chastises these people need to remember we all do dangerous and questionable things in our lives. We're just lucky enough to live.
There needs to be a sign at every intersection side road in Death Valley
IF YOUR CAR BREAKS DOWN
YOU WILL PROBABLY DIE
This is the kind of scenario that shows the strength of the female body. We tend to outlast everyone else.
That is so sad they must have gone though hell mentally and physically 😢
People typically hear the word desert, and they automatically think hot, dry and sandy. They don’t understand how the sun beats down on the ground for hours each day. That ground absorbs the heat and reflects it back, seemingly increasing the temperature.
People guzzle down what little water they may have brought with them, not realizing that the ground indeed, is increasing the temperature.
With the water, people feel an energy surge and forge ahead, getting themselves in deeper trouble. Their water gets low, but they still have a return trip to make.
They strip off their clothing, in an effort to cool down, but the unbearable heat quickly eats at their reserves, as the sun burns their skin.
They consume more water, get another energy surge and try to rush back, not realizing how far they’ve come. They finally begin to cool off, but soon realize the sun is setting. They have no food, no water reserves, no flashlight, and made no markers to guide themselves back.
When the sun sets, it takes most of the heat, and all of the light with it. Winds pick up and blow the sand around, disorienting all. Then, the temperature drops — far and fast.
People will soon find themselves hungry, thirsty, weak, disoriented, and cold. Very, very cold.
That, my friends, is just a quick summary of what can happen to you in a typical American desert, based on personal experience of living for 26+ years in the high deserts of the southern Rocky Mountains.
Deserts are no joke. They are not just “cool places” to check out. And you — unless you were born and raised in the Sahara — likely do not have the basic skills and knowledge required to unknowingly explore these vast, arid, brown expanses on God’s otherwise green Earth.
If you want to explore our deserts, make a detailed plan of time and location. Write it down in detail and give it to a trusted person.
Take much more water than you think you’ll need, and be careful. We only have one life. Don’t lose yours from delusions of self-confidence. One stumble could break a bone. One moment resting against a rock could startle a scorpion. One tumble could wake a hungry rattler. A medical emergency in the desert could literally kill you.
Other than all that (and more), enjoy your time carefully exploring our deserts. Live to tell about it another day. 🙂