She told park rangers that she was backing up to take photos when she fell into a thermal feature at Old Faithful Geyser, one of the world’s most famous geysers.
“Hot springs have injured or killed more people in Yellowstone than any other natural feature,”
reads the park website. It also advises visitors to stay on the walkways and paths of these spa areas.
After falling, the woman, who was not identified by park officials, was able to get into her vehicle and drive through the park when she was contacted by the rangers. Because of her injuries, she was brought to life at the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center’s Burn Center, park officials said.
The old faithful geyser explodes approximately every 90 minutes,
according to the NPSand the average water temperature is 169.7 degrees Fahrenheit.
Her condition is unknown at this time. NPS said it continues to investigate this incident and is not sure which thermal characteristic it has fallen into.
Violating the park can have serious repercussions on individuals.
Earlier this year, two men who were caught violating the cone of the old faithful geyser, which is a closed spa area, were sentenced to 10 days in prison and five years of probation. He was also ordered to pay a $ 540 return and was banned from the park for five years.
“Visitors must realize that walking on thermal characteristics is dangerous, damaging and illegal,” Park Chief Ranger Sarah Davis
said in January about the sentencing. “Law enforcement agencies take this violation seriously. Yellowstone National Park also appreciates the court for recognizing the impact that thermal violation can have on these incredible features.”
Last year, a man suffered severe burns when he took a walk off the boardwalk at night without a flashlight and tripped over the thermal water near the cone of Old Faithful Geyser. In that incident, the NPS said that if it had been ascertained that there had been damage to the geyser cone, they would have forwarded the results to the United States Attorney’s Office for a public prosecution review.
In June 2017, a North Carolina man suffered severe burns when he fell into a hot spring in the Lower Geyser Basin north of the Old Faithful area. A year earlier, an Oregon man died when he came out of a walkway and fell into a hot spring of 212 degrees Fahrenheit. His body has not been recovered.
The nation’s first national park, Yellowstone National Park is also the sixth most popular national park, with 4 million visitors last year. It is found in three states: Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
Danielle Sills and Katia Hetter of CNN contributed to this report.
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