Toddler falls into ‘thermal feature’ at Yellowstone National Park, resulting in 2nd-degree burns

A 3-year-old child suffered second-degree burns on Friday after falling into a “thermal feature” at Yellowstone National Park. 

The National Park Service (NPS) said in a statement that the child “took off running from the trail” and then slipped and fell into the feature, which is a collection of scalding hot water. The incident occurred near the Fountain Freight Road at Midway Geyser Basin.

The child suffered second-degree thermal burns to the lower body and back and was transported to the Burn Center at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. The NPS said the incident is currently under investigation. 

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

Yellowstone National Park began a phased reopening in May after closing in March amid growing concerns about the coronavirus.