A woman visiting Yellowstone National Park earlier this week has been placed in a medically induced coma after suffering severe burns while trying to rescue her dog from a hot spring, according to family.
The incident happened Monday afternoon at Maiden’s Grave Spring near the Firehole River in the Madison Junction area when the woman and her father stopped the car to sightsee and the dog jumped out, CBS News reported.
The victim was later identified as Laiha Slayton, according to a GoFundMe page that was launched to help the family with medical bills.
She suffered second- and third-degree burns over 90% of her body, according to a statement from the victim’s sister Kamilla Slayton. She was expected to be kept in the coma for at least a few weeks and faces surgeries that will require months in the hospital, family said.
“She’s incredibly lucky. Dad saved her life. Please send love and praise his way. She was in the scalding water for about 8 seconds,” Kamilla Slayton said, according to The Washington Post.
The 20-year-old from Washington chased after the animal and was scalded from her shoulders to her feet, CBS reported. The father pulled her out of the water but burned his foot in the process, family said.
The woman was treated by park rangers and firefighters in West Yellowstone, Montana, and then transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, according to the network.
The dog named Rusty was also pulled from the nearly 200-degree water but died after being taken to a veterinarian for its injuries, according to the Post citing park officials.
Hot springs and geysers at Yellowstone can reach extreme temperatures as high as 280 degrees, CBS reported.
Since 2000, there have been at least two deaths and three others who have suffered serious burns after coming into contact with the thermal waters.
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