A young child suffered second-degree burns after falling into a thermal feature at Yellowstone National Park.
The incident occurred Friday morning near Midway Geyser Basin, according to the National Park Service. The 3-year-old’s name and gender have not yet been publicly released. The National Park Service said it is investigating the matter.
“The child took off running from the trail, slipped, and then fell into a small thermal feature,” the National Park Service said. “Due to the injuries, the child was life-flighted to the Burn Center at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center.”
“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,” it added.
The child’s fall was the second “significant injury” that has occurred at the park in 2020. In May, a guest who entered Yellowstone illegally — visitors had been barred because of the coronavirus pandemic — fell into a thermal feature at Old Faithful while taking photos.
