On June 7, 2016, 23-year-old Colin Scott was taking a quiet walk through Yellowstone with his sister Sable, until the two of them wandered about 200 meters off the designated trail in the Norris Geyser Basin.
They both wanted to find a warm, relaxing hot spring to soak in, something that is strictly prohibited. When they seemed to find the right place, Sable took out her cellphone to record her brother as he tested the water temperature, but just then Colin slipped and fell into the acidic pool, which was over 90 °C.
His sister immediately called for help, and although rescuers saw the body, they were unable to recover it that day because of the weather conditions and poor visibility. Sadly, when they returned the next morning, they could not recover the young man’s remains because his body had dissolved due to the acidity of the water.
Only a few personal belongings, such as sandals, were found.
The area was closed precisely to protect people from a danger that isn’t apparent at first glance. Since 1890, 22 people have died in Yellowstone’s hot springs, but how many warning signs must someone ignore before they understand that they’re not there for decoration?