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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