Tourist steps through thin crust and into scalding water at Old Faithful in Yellowstone
A tourist suffered second- and third-degree burns to her leg when she broke through a thin crust and into scalding water at Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. NPS / JACOB W. FRANK National Park Service photo
A woman was injured by scalding water when she stepped through a thin crust and into scalding water near Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park, officials said.
The 60-year-old woman was visiting the park from Windsor, New Hampshire, and was walking off-trail near the Mallard Lake Trailhead with her husband and her leashed dog when she broke through the crust, the National Park Service said Sept. 18 in a news release.
She suffered second- and third-degree burns to her leg, officials said. Her husband and dog were not injured.
The couple went to a park medical clinic, and she was later transported in a helicopter to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for treatment.
The National Park Service reminded visitors to be extremely careful and stay on boardwalks and trails when in hydrothermal areas.
“The ground in these areas is fragile and thin, and there is scalding water just below the surface,” officials said.
Pets are also not allowed “on boardwalks, hiking trails, in the backcountry and in thermal areas” of the park.
National Park Service officials are investigating the incident. It’s the first known thermal injury in Yellowstone in 2024.