A 17-year-old boy visiting Yellowstone National Park was seriously burned after he stepped on a piece of land near a geyser and his foot broke through the ground’s thin crust, causing “significant” injury to his foot and ankle.
According to the National Park Service, it happened on July 28 around the Lone Star Geyser, which is located near Old Faithful.
In a statement, officials said the teen was taken to hospital to be treated for burns. It’s the first thermal injury in Yellowstone this year, they said.
“Boardwalks and trails protect you and delicate thermal formations. Water in hot springs can cause severe or fatal burns, and scalding water underlies most of the thin, breakable crust around hot springs,” the National Park Service warns. “Always walk on boardwalks and designated trails, keep children close and do not let them run on boardwalks and do not touch thermal features or runoff.”
Park officials did not say if the teen was walking off the marked path when his foot slipped into the ground. They did not elaborate on his condition.
Last year, a 60-year-old woman sustained similar injuries while hiking in Yellowstone after she went off-trail at the Mallard Lake Trailhead near Old Faithful. She suffered second- and third-degree burns to her lower leg.
Hot springs have injured and killed more people in Yellowstone National Park than any other natural feature, the National Park Service said. At least 22 people have died from hot spring-related injuries in and around the 9,000 square kilometre park since 1890, park officials have said.
Tourists run for cover after hydrothermal explosion at geyser in Yellowstone
