A young man in his early 20s reportedly was seen falling into a hot spring in the Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park on Tuesday.
Park officials said the matter was being treated as a "probable fatality because the victim has not been located." Rangers were using "extreme caution" searching for the man's remains due to the dangers of the thermal area, which can include thin surface crusts that easily collapse into boiling waters. The Norris Geyser Basin is the hottest thermal area in Yellowstone.
A park release Tuesday evening said the location of the incident was approximately 225 yards off one of the boardwalk. The release did not specify which hot spring in the Norris Basin was involved.
The Norris Geyser Basin was closed to the public following the witness's report, and no further information was expected Tuesday night.
Comments
What a horrible way to die
Doesn't matter what signs, fences or posts NPS puts up, some tourists think they are at Wally World... or that these warnings not mean them. It's going to just keep happenng, whether picking up bison calves, grizzly bear maulings, or the "invincibles" who just want to jump into a hot spirngs for a little dip. May be a long season in YNP.
I hope these idiots don't ruin these beautiful places for the rest of us who respect nature and the warning signs.
This was a terrible accident, that was totally preventable, had the young man followed the rules. Too many people think "this is a free country" I don't have to follow the rules. This is what can happen. I'm sure his family is devastated, and will want someone to blame. They'll get a lawyer and then the fun begins. The National Park service doesn't have the money to fight this and will settle, rather than prove that they aren't liable for preventable accidents. My deepest condolences to the family.