YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. —A 26-year-old Connecticut woman was sentenced to seven days in jail and more than $2,000 in fines for walking on thermal ground in Yellowstone National Park.
The Yellowstone visitor from New Hartford, Ct. appeared in front of Magistrate Judge Mark L. Carman in Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyo. on Aug. 18 for sentencing.
“For those who lack a natural ability to appreciate the dangerousness of crusty and unstable ground, boiling water, and scalding mud, the National Park Service does a darn good job of warning them to stay on the boardwalk and trial in thermal areas,” said Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray in a press release. “Yet there will always be those… who don’t get it. Although a criminal prosecution and jailtime may seem harsh, it’s better than spending time in a hospital’s burn unit.”
The woman and one other person stepped off the boardwalk and walked on thermal ground at Norris Geyser Basin, according to the release. A third member of their party stayed on the boardwalk. They were captured on camera by several witnesses.
“Boardwalks in geyser basins protect visitors and delicate thermal formations,” said Yellowstone National Park Public Affairs Officer Morgan Warthin. “The ground is fragile and thin and scalding water just below the surface can cause severe or fatal burns. More than 20 people have died from burns suffered after they entered or fell into Yellowstone’s hot springs.”
This case was handled by Yellowstone National Park law enforcement officers and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Hambrick.
