ST. GEORGE — A 23-year-old man died Tuesday after slipping and falling into a hot spring at the Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park.
Colin Nathaniel Scott, of Portland, Oregon, was visiting the park with his sister, Sable Scott, when he walked off the designated boardwalk, slipped and fell into a hot spring, approximately 225 yards off the boardwalk near Pork Chop Geyser, according to a media statement issued Wednesday by the National Park Service.
The victim’s sister alerted rangers to the incident Tuesday afternoon.
Responders used extreme caution in the search for the man due to the spring’s dangerous thermal features, according to the statement. Rangers confirmed Colin Scott’s death Tuesday evening.
Park officials said they would focus their efforts Wednesday on recovering the body.
The Norris Geyser Basin is open, officials said. However, visitors should anticipate temporary closures in the area until the investigation is complete.
“We extend our sympathy to the Scott family,” Dan Wenk, the park’s superintendent said in a statement. “This tragic event must remind all of us to follow the regulations and stay on boardwalks when visiting Yellowstone’s geyser basins.”
Tuesday’s fatality is the second known thermal-related incident to occur in the park during the 2016 summer season, park officials said. A father and son suffered burns in the Upper Geyser Basin Saturday after walking off the designated trail in the thermal area.
According to the park’s website, hot springs have injured or killed more people in Yellowstone than any other natural feature. Pools may be near or above the boiling point of water and can cause severe or fatal burns.
Boardwalks and trails are designed to protect visitors as scalding water underlies most of the thin, breakable crust in thermal areas.
For information on safety around thermal features, visit the Yellowstone National Park Service website.
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Owieeeee! Condolences to his family and friends
terrible
“…fell into a hot spring, approximately 225 yards off the boardwalk…” Sounds like a nominee for this year’s Darwin Awards.