A warning as temperatures start to heat up in the valley
Temperatures are climbing in the Coachella Valley, with some of the year's hottest days so far expected over the holiday weekend. By Saturday, we could be seeing the first triple-digit heat, and first responders want you to be safe.
"I’ve got my hiking boots, I’ve got water, I’ve got sunscreen and I also have got sunglasses," said Los Angeles resident, Alexander Terrazas.
Terrazas was visiting the desert and decided to go on a hike Friday afternoon at the Bump and Grind trail in Palm Desert.
Terrazas was one of many residents scaling the trail, well into 90-degree weather.
"I got my water with me, this is kind of my mask," La Quinta resident, Dave Rupple said as he pointed to a folded cloth in his hand. "There’s not too many people out when its warm like this."
Experienced or not, first responders have asked people to be vigilant when taking a hike or being out in the heat.
"It’s important to not just know when you’re leaving and getting out on the trail, but what the weather is going to be like while you’re out hiking. Because obviously in the desert you can start out when it’s nice and cool and refreshing in the morning but the temperature climbs so fast. Within a couple hours it could be really 20 degrees hotter," said Emergency Management Department Public Information Specialist, Shane Reichardt.
Reichardt said aside from bringing sunscreen, and knowing where you are going, stay hydrated.
"It’s not as easy as grab a bottle of water on your way out the door. You want to make sure that you’re fully hydrated before you even hit the trail. Sometimes that means if you know you’re going to go on a hike in the morning, start drinking that water early on, overnight before you go. Make sure that you’re hydrated. Make sure that you’ve ate a good meal, drank plenty of fluids and that you’re ready for that hike," said Reichardt.
There have been several hiker rescues recently, including one involving an injured hiker on Wednesday morning. As temperatures climb, officials advised to be prepared for the worst, and let a loved one or friend know where you are going in case you need to be located.
"The warm months, like March and April, is when [rattlesnakes] really start to come out of hibernation, maybe some of the younger snakes are starting to hatch," said California Poison Control System Medical Director, Dr. Rais Vohra.
Dr. Vohra said rattlesnakes usually will only bite as part of a defense mechanism. If you come across one, "the best thing you can do is walk backward and away from the snake you encounter. Take a picture from afar and then consider yourself lucky that it’s not close enough within striking distance."
Dr. Vohra also said call 911 and get to a hospital immediately.
"The only thing that really works is getting to a hospital and getting antivenom. Using a tourniquet, cutting out the wound, sucking on the wound-- trying to freeze the wound or electrocute the wound, these are not things that we make up, these are things that people say that they’ve done to their bodies and it’s shocking because none of that has proven to work and in fact you may be adding damage, you may be adding insult to injury."
The increasing heat has also posed an issue for leaving pets in vehicles.
On Thursday officials were left stunned when they found a dog inside a hot car parked at the Living Desert in Palm Desert. The dog was in a crate that was filled with frozen foods, like burritos, drumsticks and ice cream.
A Palm Desert Police Officer assisted Animal Services Officer Daniel Mora by opening the vehicle to retrieve the dog.
The dog was not overheated, but officials said the items in the crate were lukewarm. The panting dog was placed in Officer Mora's cab so it could receive his truck’s air conditioning at full blast as it was taken to the the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms for a veterinary examination.
"It was our understanding the vehicle was still at the living desert inside that parking lot at closing time. Had nobody seen that dog, that dog would have died," said Riverside County Animal Services spokesperson, John Welsh.
Welsh said the owner came to pick up the dog the next day and was ticketed. If the dog had been found with injuries, or had died, the owner would could have faced animal cruelty-related charges.
