A 20-year old woman from Washington state suffered thermal burns after jumping into Maiden’s Grave Spring at Yellowstone National Park.
According to a report from KTVQ News, the woman was chasing the family dog who had escaped from their vehicle. The dog ran into Maiden’s Grave Spring, a thermal hot spring. The woman chased the dog into the spring and suffered significant thermal burns on her body.
According to the report, these incidents are surprisingly common at Yellowstone. There were several notable incidents in recent years. A three-year-old was seriously burned at Old Faithful. Another visitor was attempting to take a photograph when he fell into the thermal waters at Old Faithful. The examples of such injuries, and even deaths, are plentiful.
Yellowstone National Park used this opportunity to provide some education about hydrothermal areas. According to the Facebook post, the ground around hydrothermal features is thin and delicate. Underneath that thin layer of earth is extremely hot water. The post encourages visitors to stay on boardwalks and trails in these areas.
Images from: Yellowstone National Park Facebook Page
