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After a 23-year-old man 'dissolved' and died while hotpotting, many people have been left wondering exactly what the activity involves.
As previously reported, a visit to Yellowstone National Park turned fatal for 23-year-old Colin Scott, who tragically died after falling into a volcanic hot spring.
According to official park reports, Colin had been testing the temperature of a spring when he slipped and fell in. Despite immediate rescue efforts, the scalding water proved fatal, according to The Guardian.
Rangers rushed to the scene, but a severe thunderstorm forced them to temporarily halt recovery efforts. When they returned the next day, Colin’s body was gone, leaving behind only his sandals and wallet floating in the acidic pool.
Deputy Chief Ranger Lorant Veress later detailed the horrific conditions in his incident report, writing: “In a very short order, there was a significant amount of dissolving.”
Hotpotting involves soaking in mineral-rich natural thermal hot springs, which soothes and unwinds the muscles, making for a relaxing experience.
Many people have likened it to a natural hot tub and have cited many perceived health benefits of the mineral-rich water.
However, the term can also refer to the illegal and extremely dangerous practice of entering scalding-hot geothermal pools which have signs warning people not to go near the waters, as per the National Park Service.
Scott's attempt at hotpotting ended in disaster as he was testing the waters in an area known for its extreme geothermal activity, where temperatures and mineral content make the water fatally hazardous to humans.
He and his sister were walking along a boardwalk in Yellowstone National Park’s Norris Geyser Basin, an area that has the park's oldest and hottest acidic thermal springs, when he fell in while trying to test the waters.
While the vivid colors and bubbling pools of Yellowstone are breathtaking, they conceal some of the most dangerous natural environments on Earth.
The combination of sulfuric acid, heat, and volcanic minerals makes these pools extremely corrosive. Only a few species of heat-resistant bacteria can survive in these waters; humans certainly cannot.
More than 20 people have died in Yellowstone National Park's 10,000 geothermal pools, according to reports.
While the number may seem small given the millions of visitors each year, the park consistently warns tourists to stay on designated boardwalks and never approach geothermal features.
According to the park's official website, the waters can reach an enormous 250 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning people can be seriously scalded or killed easily if they illegally venture too far from the designated walkways.
Hank Heasler, the park’s principal geologist, explained: "Geothermal attractions are one of the most dangerous natural features in Yellowstone, but I don’t sense that awareness in either visitors or employees."
Visitors are given ample warnings as the National Park Service publishes warnings, posts signs, and maintains boardwalks where people can walk to get close to popular geyser fields.
However, despite their efforts, rangers generally have to rescue one or two visitors a year, often small children who have wandered off the designated paths and whose feet have punctured the thin earthen crust and plunged into the boiling water.
In a word, no. Some hot springs are completely safe for humans to hotpot in, such as the Blue Lagoon in Iceland, a popular destination for those looking to bathe in the naturally warm waters.
Kevin Furlong, Ph.D., professor of geoscience at Penn State University, told Men's Health that most hot springs form when surface water percolates down to hotter parts of the earth, and then comes back up.
Deeper down, they can reach up to 110 degrees, around 10 degrees warmer than a standard hot tub, which means that they're nice and toasty to bask in without causing any major problems.
However, Yellowstone's hot springs are very different.
Furlong warned: "Yellowstone is basically a huge volcano."
The park sits over a large body of magma that measures at thousands of degrees Fahrenheit, which in turn makes the crust and the water far hotter than is safe for humans.
As well as the water being hot enough to cause lethal burns, it is also extremely acidic, with a pH of 5, meaning it would also cause chemical burns.
This is also the reason that Scott's body was completely dissolved within a day of him falling in.
It goes without saying that to give yourself the best chance of your visit going without a trip to the emergency room (or far, far worse), visitors should always heed any warnings and guidance issued by the park.
They should also strictly stick to the trails and not wander off them even if they look safe - the terrain, though beautiful, is deceptively dangerous as the ground surrounding the thermal springs can be very weak, meaning that it can collapse and leave people in danger of falling in.
Hotpotting, or soaking in natural hot springs, should only be attempted in parks that explicitly allow it, as there's always a good reason why it would be disallowed - from boiling waters to potentially containing harmful organisms that could cause infections that would be painful or even fatal.
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A visit to Yellowstone National Park turned fatal for 23-year-old Colin Scott, who tragically died after falling into a volcanic hot spring.
The young man had reportedly been attempting to “hot pot” (a dangerous and illegal activity that involves briefly dipping into a natural hot spring, as per the National Park Service) when he slipped and fell into one of the park’s near-boiling geothermal pools.
The heartbreaking incident occurred in an area known for its extreme geothermal activity, where temperatures and mineral content make the water fatally hazardous to humans.
Yellowstone is home to the largest concentration of geothermal features on Earth, including thousands of hot springs, geysers, and mud pots. These pools are heated by a massive underground supervolcano, which fuels temperatures that can easily reach 199°F (93°C) at the surface, and even hotter below, the BBC details.
While the mineral-rich waters might appear inviting, they are filled with corrosive chemicals and extreme heat capable of destroying human tissue within moments. “Hot potting” in Yellowstone is not only strictly prohibited, but deadly; a lesson that, tragically, cost Colin his life.
According to official park reports, Colin had been testing the temperature of a spring when he slipped and fell in. Despite immediate rescue efforts, the scalding water proved fatal, according to The Guardian.
Rangers rushed to the scene, but a severe thunderstorm forced them to temporarily halt recovery efforts. When they returned the next day, Colin’s body was gone, leaving behind only his sandals and wallet floating in the acidic pool.
Deputy Chief Ranger Lorant Veress later detailed the horrific conditions in his incident report, writing: “In a very short order, there was a significant amount of dissolving.”
The combination of boiling temperatures and acidic volcanic minerals effectively dissolved Colin’s remains overnight, a chilling reminder of the raw power of Yellowstone’s geothermal landscape.
While the vivid colors and bubbling pools of Yellowstone are breathtaking, they conceal some of the most dangerous natural environments on Earth.
The combination of sulfuric acid, heat, and volcanic minerals makes these pools extremely corrosive. Only a few species of heat-resistant bacteria can survive in these waters; humans certainly cannot.
More than 20 people have died in Yellowstone National Park's 10,000 geothermal pools, according to reports. While the number may seem small given the millions of visitors each year, the park consistently warns tourists to stay on designated boardwalks and never approach geothermal features.
Colin Scott’s story serves as a haunting reminder of the dangerous allure of Yellowstone’s hot springs. Though stunningly beautiful, the park’s geothermal features are not meant for swimming or bathing.
Park officials continue to stress that safety barriers and warnings exist for a reason; and that ignoring them, even for a moment, can have devastating consequences.
A man passed away after he accidentally fell into a hot spring in Yellowstone.
Colin Scott, from Portland, was only 23 years old when he lost his life after he and his sister went on a walk in Yellowstone National Park.
The pair were looking for a place to "hot pot" which is a term that's used to refer to soaking in the park’s natural thermal features Yellowstone has the largest hot spring in the United States.
What was supposed to be a fun day out between two siblings instead turned into a tragedy.
Speaking to investigators, Colin's sister Sable said that she and her brother left the boardwalk near Pork Chop Geyser on June 7 when he reached down to check the water temperature but accidentally "slipped and fell" into the scalding pool.
His body was later recovered by authorities when it was discovered floating on the surface of the pool
Sable was recording the haunting moment on her phone, and due to the graphic nature of the footage, authorities refused to release or even describe the contents of the clip.
Deputy Chief Ranger Lorant Veress called the area where the accident happened - the Norris Geyser basin – "very dangerous" as it contains boiling acidic waters. He also added that there is a closure in place to prevent people from soaking in the pools for their own safety as well as to protect the park’s resources.
But it was reported by the Daily Mail that both Colin and Sable "left the boardwalk and walked several hundred feet up a hill."
"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," Veress added.
The temperatures of the spring have been recorded to hit up to 400 degrees, which can be hot enough to dissolve flesh. It was later confirmed by the ranger that: "There was a significant amount of dissolving" when the body was analyzed.
As per the official Yellowstone website, "more than 20 people have been killed in the past by some of Yellowstone's 10,000 geothermal pools, geysers, mudpots, steam vents and hot springs."
However, officials for the park also stated that "you should keep in mind how many visitors the park gets" per year, which can see numbers up to four million.
Prior to Scott's death, on July 31, 2022, a California man died after he entered the Abyss hot springs pool at Yellowstone Lake’s West Thumb Geyser Basin. He was not discovered until days later when a shoe and part of a foot were found floating in the 140-degree hot spring.
It was later confirmed that 70-year-old Il Hun Ro was the victim thanks to DNA testing.
Our thoughts are with Scott's family during this difficult time.
If you plan on visiting the park, please do familiarize yourself with the guidelines before embarking on your journey.
A man who was looking for somewhere to relax dipped his finger into a Yellowstone hot spring and was killed after he fell in.
Yellowstone National Park is one of the most popular tourist spots in the country, with people flocking from all over the world to see the natural beauty.
But with the sightseeing, comes danger, as Yellowstone is a dormant volcano, which still holds one of the world's largest magma chambers, resulting in incredibly hot water on the surface.
Although the water might look inviting, it is of such a high temperature that it is impossible for a human to withstand.
As reported by the Daily Mail, 23-year-old Colin Scott met a tragic end as he sought to hot pot - a term for soaking in the park’s natural thermal features. What was meant to be an adventurous experience turned into a fatal misstep.
Scott was inquisitively testing the water's temperature by dipping his finger when a sudden slip sent him plummeting into the scalding spring. His lifeless body was discovered later that same day, floating on the water's surface.
Rescue efforts were thwarted by adverse weather conditions, as a thunderstorm forced officials into retreat. When they returned the following day, they found little more than remnants of the 23-year-old, his wallet and flip-flops.
Deputy Chief Ranger Lorant Veress, noted in his incident report that the water's acidity and temperature on the fateful day were exceptionally high, rendering any chance of survival bleak, per KULR-TV.
Veress chillingly described the grim outcome, stating: "In a very short order, there was a significant amount of dissolving."
Yellowstone's geothermal features, including ponds, pools, and geysers, boast surface temperatures averaging around 93°C (199°F), with even more searing temperatures lurking beneath the surface.
Due to this, these scalding attractions are securely fenced off and adorned with prominent warning signs.
Scott's sister, Sable Scott, informed investigators that he had left a boardwalk and she had filmed him falling into the pool.
The footage showed Scott checking the temperature of the pool with his finger when he accidentally slipped and fell in, and the pool at this point was already scalding hot.
Yellowstone, spanning across Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, attracts more than four million visitors each year. According to Forbes, an online publication advocating responsible nature exploration, Yellowstone has recorded 52 deaths since 2010.
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