This news story about a second thermal burns incident in Yellowstone National Park is based on an October 5, 2021, National Park Service press release. You can read the original release here.
After a 19-year-old woman from Rhode Island got severely burned at Old Faithful on September 16, another young woman, 20 years old and from Washington, suffered significant burns in Yellowstone this week.
While it’s not unusual for (often careless) people to get burned at the hydrothermal features in Yellowstone National Park, it is rare that two such incidents occurred less than three weeks apart.
20-Year-Old Woman Suffers Serious Thermal Burns at Yellowstone, Second Such Incident in Less Than Three Weeks
The Washington woman, who remains unidentified, sustained severe thermal burns between her shoulders and feet on the afternoon of Monday, October 4, 2021. The incident occurred near the Fountain Flat Drive south of Madison Junction and north of the Midway Geyser Basin.
According to the National Park Service press release, when the woman and her father left their vehicle to look around, their dog jumped out of the car and into Maiden’s Grave Spring, which is near the Firehole River.
The 20-year-old woman then also entered the hot spring in an attempt to rescue the dog. She was puled out of the thermal feature by her father, who drove them to West Yellowstone, Montana.
At West Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park rangers and Hebgen Basin Rural Fire District provided initial care to the woman. After that, she was transported to the Burn Center at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center.
The dog was also pulled out of the hot spring and the father planned to take it to a vet. On October 6, the National Park Service announced that, unfortunately, the dog has passed away.
This second thermal burns incident at Yellowstone is currently under investigation. Because the woman was transported outside of Yellowstone National Park, the National Park Service has no information about her status.
Park Service Encourages Extreme Caution Around Hydrothermal Features
Although the National Park Service has no further details to share about the incident, it does remind visitors of the fragility and thinness of the ground in hydrothermal areas. There’s scalding water just below the surface.
All visitors must stay on trails and boardwalks, which are there for a reason, at all times. The Park Service encourages extreme caution near hydrothermal features.
Additionally, pets are not allowed anywhere on boardwalks, hiking trails, in thermal areas or in the backcountry in Yellowstone National Park. Visitors are responsible for the safety of their pets. Pets must be either in a car or crater, or on a leash that’s no longer than 6 feet. They must be under physical control of a human at all times.
Careless Visitors Regularly Get Severely or Even Fatally Burned in Yellowstone National Park
As we mentioned above, this is the second significant injury in a thermal area in 2021. The first occurred in September at Old Faithful. Many more have taken place over the years:
- In 2020, a 3-year-old suffered second-degree thermal burns to the lower body and back. The same year, a visitor, who illegally entered the park, fell into a thermal feature at Old Faithful while backing up and taking photos.
- In September 2019, a man suffered severe burns after falling into thermal water near the cone of Old Faithful Geyser.
- In June 2017, a man sustained severe burns after falling in a hot spring in the Lower Geyser Basin.
- In June 2016, a man left the boardwalk and died after slipping into a hot spring in Norris Geyser Basin.
- In August 2000, one person died and two people received severe burns from falling into a hot spring in the Lower Geyser Basin.
In total, more than 20 visitors have died from burns after intentionally entering or accidentally falling into a hot spring. Many more people have gotten (seriously) injured.