US2 min(s) read
Published 15:58 11 Oct 2021 GMT
A woman has sustained 90 percent burns on her body after jumping into a hot spring in order to save her dog at Yellowstone National Park.
Laiha Slayton and her father, Woodrow, from Tacoma, Washington, went to the popular park on Tuesday, October 5, her sister Kamilla told the Daily Mail.
When Rusty, one of the family's two Shih Tzus, fell into a hot spring, 20-year-old Laiha jumped in after the one-year-old pup, not realizing that the temperature can reach up to 190 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sadly, Laiha sustained horrific third-degree burns to her body - all the way from her shoulders to her feet. Woodrow, who rescued her, also suffered a burn to his foot and needed treatment.
In order to seek help for his daughter, Woodrow drove Laiha to West Yellowstone, Montana, and she was then flown by helicopter to the burn unit at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, according to park officials.
Rusty was taken to a vet but unfortunately, his wounds proved fatal.
Yellowstone National Park has issued a statement regarding the incident on its Facebook page and urged visitors to be extra cautious when around the hot springs.
The post read: "The ground in hydrothermal areas is fragile and thin, and there is scalding water just below the surface. Everyone must remain on boardwalks and trails and exercise extreme caution around thermal features.
"While in the park, protect your pets by physically controlling them at all times. Pets must be in a car, crate, or on a leash no more than six feet long. They are not allowed on boardwalks, hiking trails, in the backcountry, or in thermal areas."
Laiha, who is a dental assistant by profession, has been put in a coma for the next two weeks, according to a GoFundMe page that was set up by her sister to pay for medical bills.
Her sister also told the Daily Mail that Laiha's palms are "completely gone" and she will also require additional surgery, which means she will be in the hospital for a "few months".
At the time of writing, the GoFundMe page has raised $57,00 out of its overall goal of $200,000. The money will be used to cover medical costs and cremation services for the dog.
In an update posted to social media by sister Kami, she writes: "Laiha is doing better day by day! She had went through 4 surgeries successfully so far and she is hanging in as tuff as possible."
