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Some sad news: Yesterday a 20-year-old woman from Washington suffered significant thermal burns between her shoulders and feet while rescuing her dog from Maiden’s Grave Spring. UPDATE: The dog did not make it.
The incident took place the afternoon of October 4, in the vicinity of Fountain Flat Drive south of Madison Junction. When the woman and her father exited their vehicle to look around, their dog jumped out of the car and into Maiden’s Grave Spring, near the Firehole River. The woman entered the thermal hot spring to retrieve the dog. The father pulled her out of the feature and then drove the party to West Yellowstone.
Yellowstone National Park rangers and Hebgen Basin Rural Fire District provided initial care to the woman at West Yellowstone. She was then transported to the Burn Center at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. The dog initially survived, but later passed away due to the severity of its injuries. No update on the status of the woman, as she received health care outside Yellowstone. The matter is under investigation.
The lesson is to keep pets under a watchful eye at all times. Even though it sounds like there was no intent to let the dog loose in the vicinity of thermal hot springs, something as innocent as a playful dog can turn into a tragic accident.
