Life

Yellowstone calls off search for man who fell into hot springs

Published

June 9, 2016

The man, Colin Nathaniel Scott, 23, of Portland, Oregon, was visiting the park with his sister, Sable Scott. He walked off the designated boardwalk and fell into a hot spring at the Norris Geyser Basin Tuesday, June 7, 2016, according to the press release.

Colin’s sister saw him slip into the hot springs near Pork Chop Geyser and alerted rangers. “Using extreme caution given the hazards of the thermal area, rangers confirmed Scott’s death Tuesday evening,” said park spokesperson Charissa Reid. “There were no remains left to recover.”

East Idaho News reported that park rangers spent all day Wednesday focusing their efforts on recovering the body. The Norris Geyser Basin is now open, but visitors will find there are temporary closures in the area as the investigation into the incident continues.

The death of the young man is the second thermal-related incident in Yellowstone National Park this 2016 season. Last Saturday, a 13-year-old boy slipped out of his father’s arms and fell into a hot spring in the Upper Geyser Basin after the two walked off the designated trail in the thermal area. Both father and son sustained burns.

Reid, in an interview with the New York Times, said she had noticed an uptick in the number of people walking off designated trails and boardwalks, getting way to close to animals and the thermal features, caused in part, by the sheer numbers of visitors. Last year, the park reported over four million visitors, and that number is expected to be higher this year.

Norris Geyser Basin is the park’s oldest and hottest thermal area. A temperature of 459 degrees Fahrenheit has been recorded 1,087 feet below the surface in this thermal area. Visitors can walk over two miles of trails and boardwalks, bringing them close to geysers, steam vents, and acidic water. There have been 22 fatalities involving the thermal attractions in the park since 1890.

“We extend our sympathy to the Scott family,” said Superintendent Dan Wenk. “This tragic event must remind all of us to follow the regulations and stay on boardwalks when visiting Yellowstone’s geyser basins.”

A tragic death reminds us all to follow regulations and stay on boardwalks in geyser basins. pic.twitter.com/0qOuenlWG3

— YellowstoneNPS (@YellowstoneNPS) June 8, 2016

In this article:no remains left, other incidents, pork chop geyser, thermalrelated incident, Yellowstone National Park

Written By Karen Graham

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear friend Karen Graham, who served as Editor-at-Large at Digital Journal. She was 78 years old. Karen's view of what is happening in our world was colored by her love of history and how the past influences events taking place today. Her belief in humankind's part in the care of the planet and our environment has led her to focus on the need for action in dealing with climate change. It was said by Geoffrey C. Ward, "Journalism is merely history's first draft." Everyone who writes about what is happening today is indeed, writing a small part of our history.