The woman fell through a thin crust into the scalding water beneath. Photo: NPS
On the afternoon of September 16, a 60-year-old woman suffered second and third degree burns while walking in a thermal area near Mallard Lake Trailhead at Old Faithful.
“The woman was walking off-trail with her husband and leashed dog in a thermal area when she broke through a thin crust over scalding water and suffered burns to her leg,” the National Parks Service wrote. “The husband and dog were not injured.”
When the extent of her burns became apparent, she was airlifted to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center and treated for her injuries.
This isn’t the first time an injury like this has occurred in the area, which is why there is an abundance of signage warning visitors to stay on boardwalks in Yellowstone National Park.
“The ground in these areas is fragile and thin, and there is scalding water just below the surface. Learn more about safety in thermal areas,” the NPS wrote in a press release. “Pets are prohibited on boardwalks, hiking trails, in the backcountry and in thermal areas.”
