In a heartbreaking incident at Yellowstone National Park, a man tragically lost his life after falling into a scorching hot spring. This stark tragedy unfolded within the expansive wilderness of Wyoming’s iconic park, established in 1872 and known as one of the pioneers among global national parks, according to National Geographic.
Yellowstone, attracting over three million visitors annually, offers breathtaking landscapes and access to some swim-friendly hot springs. But amidst its beauty lies potential danger, largely due to the Yellowstone Caldera, also known as the Yellowstone Supervolcano, where temperatures can soar to perilous levels.
This danger became a fatal reality for one visitor, Colin Scott, a 23-year-old Oregon resident. In June, during a trip with his sister aimed at “hot potting” — a local term for bathing in natural hot springs — tragedy struck. The siblings wandered off the approved path near the Norris Geyser Basin, the park’s hottest area.
“They were specifically moving in that area for a place that they could potentially get into and soak. I think they call it hot potting,” Deputy Chief Ranger Lorant Veress explained to CNN affiliate KULR.
Disaster occurred when Scott, checking the water’s temperature, slipped and fell into the scalding spring. Yellowstone’s thermal features, which include geysers and pools, average temperatures around 93°C (199°F) at the surface, increasing with depth.
Veress emphasized the critical need for visitors to adhere to safety signage. “Because (Yellowstone) is wild and it hasn’t been overly altered by people to make things a whole lot safer, it’s got dangers,” he said, underscoring the park’s inherent risks linked to its geothermal attractions.
The official Yellowstone website notes that over 20 fatalities have occurred due to the park’s geothermal features. Yet, with the park’s high visitor count in mind, such incidents are rare but tragic reminders of nature’s power.
The park records indicate at least 22 fatalities related to hot springs since 1890, with at least two victims having attempted to swim in them, shares Lee Whittlesey, author of ‘Death in Yellowstone’.
Following the accident, rescuers located Scott’s body within the pool, but a subsequent lightning storm hindered recovery efforts. When conditions allowed for a return, the acidic and turbulent waters of the spring had left no remains.
Veress noted the rapidity of the natural dissolving process in such conditions. The entire ordeal was captured on video by Scott’s sister, though the footage has been withheld by park authorities.