3-year-old child suffers burns after falling into Yellowstone National Park 'thermal feature'

GREAT FALLS, Mont. – A 3-year-old child suffered second-degree burns to the lower body and back after straying from a trail and falling into "a thermal feature" on Friday at Yellowstone National Park, officials said.

The incident occurred about 11:40 a.m. by Fountain Freight Road, near Midway Geyser Basin. The child took off running from the trail, slipped and then fell into a small thermal feature, park officials said.

The child was flown to the Burn Center at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center.

This incident is under investigation, officials said. They said they did not have additional information to share, nor could they say if the child was a boy or girl.

Officials said the ground in hydrothermal areas is fragile and thin, and there is scalding water just below the surface.

This is the second significant injury in a thermal area in 2020, park officials said in an email. In May a person who illegally entered the park fell into a thermal feature at Old Faithful while backing up and taking photos.

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In September 2019, a man suffered severe burns after falling into thermal water near the cone of Old Faithful Geyser. In June 2017, a man suffered severe burns after falling in a hot spring in the Lower Geyser Basin. In June 2016, a man left the boardwalk and died after slipping into a hot spring in Norris Geyser Basin, park officials said.

In August 2000, one person died and two suffered severe burns from falling into a hot spring in the Lower Geyser Basin, officials said.