A 21-year-old man from North Carolina has suffered severe burns after falling into a hot spring at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, US. The incident occurred late on Tuesday night, according to park officials.
Gervais Dylan Gatete, a hotel employee at the park, was with seven other people when he fell into the thermal feature. The group flagged down park rangers just before midnight, who helped transport Mr Gatete to hospital.
Mr Gatete was flown from West Yellowstone airport to Salt Lake City, where he is in stable condition. This is the first such incident at the park's famous hot springs this year. In June last year, a man died after falling into a spring.
Yellowstone Superintendent Dan Wenk emphasised the dangers of the park's thermal features, stating that the ground nearby is fragile and thin, with scalding water just beneath the surface. He stressed the importance of staying on trails and boardwalks in geyser basins for safety.
Some Yellowstone hot springs can reach temperatures up to 199°F (93°C). In 2016, a 23-year-old man died in the Lower Geyser Basin after leaving the boardwalk trail; his body dissolved almost entirely by the following day, making recovery too unsafe.
