This man was brutally killed after he tried to ‘hotpot’ in Yellowstone National Park, USA
The stunning national park is known for its breathtaking landscapes and natural hot springs. However, the latter can be extremely dangerous.
One of the world’s largest magma chambers is located beneath Yellowstone. This means that the water on the surface of the hot springs reaches almost boiling point.
The hot springs are fenced off, with numerous warnings cautioning people to stay away. No one should ever consider taking a dip – it would be fatal.
Hot potting
It, therefore, came as a surprise that Colin Scott and his sister Sable had gone to the park to try ‘hot potting’. This is the illegal practice of diving into a hot spring.
“[They] were specifically searching in that area for a place where they could get into and soak,” deputy chief ranger Lorant Veress reportedly told KULR.
Intentionally Strayed
Sable filmed as she and Colin “intentionally” strayed from the boardwalk of the Norris Geyser Basin when her brother fell in. Apparently, he dipped his finger in to test the water’s temperature.
“The smartphone recorded the moment he slipped and fell into the water and her efforts to rescue him,” the report said. There was no mobile phone service in the area, so Sable reportedly went back to a nearby museum for help.
Several hours later, Colin’s body was found floating in the water. However, authorities were unable to retrieve it because a thunderstorm forced them to abort the operation. When they returned the next day, there was nothing left of the young man except a wallet and slippers.
Body “Dissolved” by Acids
Veress wrote in his incident report that on the day Colin met his tragic end, the water had been particularly acidic. “In a very short order there was a significant amount of dissolving,” he wrote.
The geothermal ponds and pools in Yellowstone are extremely hot on the surface – 93°C – but reach much higher temperatures further down.
Visitors are warned by the National Park Service to stay on boardwalks or designated trails that pass through thermal areas. “Hot springs have injured or killed more people in Yellowstone than any other natural feature,” reads the warning on the website.
What a horrifying ordeal. It was definitely something that could have been prevented if Colin and his sister had heeded the warnings.
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