A 60-year-old woman sustained second and third degree burns while walking on a thermal area near Yellowstone National Park’s Old Faithful.
The woman was walking off trail with her husband and leashed dog near Mallard Lake Trailhead on Sept. 16, 2024, when she broke through a thin crust over scalding water, the NPS says. The Windsor, New Hampshire woman suffered severe injuries to her lower leg and was flown by helicopter to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for treatment. Her husband and dog were not hurt.
As a result of the incident, park officials remind all visitors to stay on marked trails.
“Stay on boardwalks and trails in hydrothermal areas and exercise extreme caution. The ground in these areas is fragile and thin, and there is scalding water just below the surface,” said the NPS.
By the way, pets are prohibited on boardwalks, in thermal areas, on hiking trails, and in the backcountry of Yellowstone.
Park officials say this is the first known thermal injury in Yellowstone this year.
