According to Park officials, a woman has suffered burns after falling into a thermal feature inside the Yellowstone Park on Tuesday, May 12. The park has been off-limits since March 24 due to the coronavirus lockdown.
In a statement, the National Park Service said that the woman entered the Park illegally. The woman fell into the thermal feature in the Old Faithful Geyser, which is one of the most famous geysers in the world. The woman told the park rangers that she was moving back towards the feature to take pictures when she suffered the injury.
The woman's identity was not revealed by the officials. After suffering the injuries the woman went back to her vehicle and drove through for 50 miles (80 kilometers) until park rangers stopped her near Mammoth Hot Springs. The park officials said that she was life-lifted to the Burn Center at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center because of her injuries.
The park's official website has warned the visitors by saying that the "Hot springs have injured or killed more people in Yellowstone than any other natural feature."
The Old Faithful Geyser
According to NPS, the Old Faithful Geyser erupts every 90 minutes with a water temperature of 169.7 degrees Fahrenheit. The NPS said that they are still investigating more into the situation. The woman's condition is yet to be revealed. The NPS is yet to mention which thermal feature she fell into. Trespassing the park can lead to serious repercussions with law, especially because of the coronavirus pandemic closedown. The Yellowstone Park and Grand Teton National Park is said to be readying to announce the reopening by Wednesday, May 13.
People visiting the Yellowstone is usually requested to stay on the boardwalks near Yellowstone's because of the boiling or acidic thermal features. Tourists sometimes derail from the path and are often found to be injured or killed due to the lack of attention to the pathways.
A 23-year-old from Portland, Oregon had died after falling into a superheated, acidic mud pot in June 2016. His remains were not recovered. Similarly last fall a man suffered serious burns after going off the boardwalk near Old Faithful at night.
Earlier this year two men trespassed the closed-off region in the park in the cone of Old Faithful Geyser. Legal action was taken against the men and they were sent to jail for 10 days and has five years of probation. They were also ordered to pay $540 restitution and banned from the park for five years. The national park located in three states namely Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming is said to be the sixth most popular park in the country.
