NH Woman Severely Burned At Yellowstone National Park

WINDSOR, NH — A 60-year-old Windsor woman sustained second and third-degree burns while walking in a thermal area at Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park Monday, the National Park Service said Wednesday.

The woman was walking off-trail near Mallard Lake Trailhead with her husband and leashed dog when she "broke through a thin crust over scalding water," resulting in burns to her leg, according to officials.

Her husband and dog were not injured, officials said.

The woman and her husband went to a park medical clinic, after which she was transported via helicopter to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, according to officials.

The incident is the first known thermal injury in Yellowstone in 2024, officials said.

"Visitors are reminded to stay on boardwalks and trails in hydrothermal areas and exercise extreme caution," according to the National Park Service. "The ground in these areas is fragile and thin, and there is scalding water just below the surface."

Officials added that pets are prohibited on boardwalks, hiking trails, in the backcountry, and in thermal areas.