Yellowstone Insider Your Complete Guide to America's First National Park
A 21-year-old man has been severely burned after falling into a hot spring in the Lower Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park.
According to a Yellowstone press release, Gervais Dylan Gatete of Raleigh, North Carolina, sustained severe injuries Tuesday, June 13 near Fountain Flat Drive just north of Old Faithful. Gatete, an employee with Xanterra Parks and Resorts, was with seven other people when he fell.
The incident appeared to have happened at night, as the group reports trying to “evacuate Mr. Gatete by car” before flagging down a ranger near Seven Mile Bridge around midnight.
Staff provided immediate medical aid on-site. Gatete was later taken to the West Yellowstone airport and flown to a hospital.
At this time, we do not know the extent of Mr. Gatete’s injuries or his current condition. Rangers are investigating the incident; more information will be provided as their investigation proceeds.
In a statement, Yellowstone Superintendent Dan Wenk stressed that “Yellowstone’s thermal features are dangerous … We continually stress that people must stay on the trails and boardwalks in geyser basins, not only to protect resources, but for their own safety.”
This is the first incident of its kind this year. Last summer, of course, a young man from Portland, Oregon died when he slipped and fell into a hot spring in Norris Geyser Basin after venturing hundreds of yards off the boardwalk system.
UPDATE: According to ABC FOX Montana, Mr. Gatete is being treated at the Salt Lake City Burn Center in Utah. He is listed in stable but critical condition.
