Hiker sustains burns after jumping into Idaho hot spring to save dog

SALMON, Idaho (REUTERS) - A man hiking through a national forest in Idaho suffered severe burns after his two dogs plunged into a hot spring and he jumped into the scalding water to rescue them, managing to save just one of his pets, US Forest Service officials said on Tuesday.

The freak accident occurred last week in the Panther Creek Hot Springs, a popular spot in the sprawling Salmon-Challis National Forest, about 80 km northwest of the tourist town of Salmon in east-central Idaho.

Temperatures at Panther Creek, usually mild enough for human bathing, had apparently grown dangerously high, possibly from drought conditions that may have curtailed cool water flows that normally mix with the springs' geothermally heated groundwater, forest spokesman Amy Baumer said.

The hiker, who was not publicly identified, was out walking through the mountains with his dogs last Thursday when both pets leaped into the hot springs, killing one animal and prompting the man to plunge into the searing water to rescue the other, authorities said.

While forest visitors are advised to test the temperature of hot springs before immersing themselves, the injured hiker acted on instinct to save his remaining pet, which was taken to a local veterinarian for treatment, Lemhi County Chief Deputy Sheriff Steve Penner said.

A Forest Service firefighting crew that happened to be in the area came to the man's aid and arranged for a medical helicopter to fly him to a hospital for treatment of severe burns, according to Penner.

Panther Creek draws dozens of visitors annually, and forest managers were unaware of a similar incident ever occurring in the 107-year history of the Salmon-Challis, which spans 1.7 million hectares and numerous hot springs, said Ken Gebhardt, a district ranger.

"The forest is very interested in doing what it can to better inform the public about this accident in hopes of preventing another tragedy," he said.

Hot springs, the subject of travel guides and copious online commentary by outdoor enthusiasts, are widely dispersed across the Northern Rockies and other regions where volcanic activity and geothermal features are intertwined.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.