A three-year-old suffered second-degree-thermal burns to the lower body and back Friday near Midway Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park. According to a report from the park, the child took off running from the trail, slipped and then fell into a small thermal feature. Due to the injuries, the child was life-flighted to the Burn Center at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. This is the second significant injury in a thermal area in 2020. In May of this year a visitor (who illegally entered the park) fell into a thermal feature at Old Faithful while backing up and taking photos. Park officials remind visitors that the ground in hydrothermal areas is fragile and thin, and there is scalding water just below the surface. Visitors must always remain on boardwalks and trails and exercise extreme caution around thermal features.
- Author
