He suffered both external and internal burns from swallowing the scalding water. In 1926, Whittlesey writes, a young Presbyterian pastor died from shock after he fell through several hot springs, completely submerging his head at one point. One woman died after the crust edge of a geyser collapsed, plunging her waist-deep into the "boiling cauldron," she wrote in a letter from the hospital. Whittlesey writes that the first three thermal deaths at Yellowstone occurred in the late 1800s and early 1900s – and all were children. Whittlesey dedicates the first chapter to thermal deaths and quotes an unnamed author, who, when contemplating the hot springs, once wrote that "death lurks in the path of those who venture near, fascinated by the dazzling array of hues." In his book "Death in Yellowstone: Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park," historian Lee H. They've killed or injured more people in Yellowstone than any other natural feature. Yet there's something about the technicolor springs that lures otherwise rational observers toward their magnetic depths. Signs litter these areas throughout the park, warning visitors to remain on boardwalks and keep pets away. It was there that the record high temperature for any geothermal area in Yellowstone was recorded inside a scientific drill hole maxing at a piping 459 degrees. The hottest exist in the Norris Geyser Basin, where Scott died, and where most of the features bubble well over the boiling point of 199 degrees Fahrenheit. Yellowstone has more than 10,000 thermal features, including geysers, hot springs, mudpots and steam vents, according to the park website. "It's devastating," park ranger Jessica Korhut told NBC Montana, " not only to the families that are involved, but also the folks that have to go in and rescue them." For those who aren't killed immediately, death can come slowly – hours, days or even weeks after the initial burns. Like boiling a chicken, the scalding waters cook internal organs and cause human flesh to slough away from the bone. More so than bear maulings or cliff falls, being burnt alive in a hot spring is perhaps the most horrifying way to die in Yellowstone. Yellowstone's awe-inspiring hot springs have claimed 22 lives since 1890, park officials told the AP, but Scott's was the first thermal-related death in 16 years. They halted their recovery mission Wednesday, park spokeswoman Charissa Reid told the Associated Press, "due to the extreme nature and futility of it all." The water was highly acidic, Reid said, leaving "no remains left to recover." His flip flops, reported NBC News, were one of the few things rescuers retrieved. Despite her immediate call for help and the prolonged search efforts by park staff, her brother was never seen again. Then, somehow, Colin Scott slipped, and as his sister watched, the 23-year-old tumbled into one of the boiling springs. They walked 225 yards away from the boardwalk and into an isolated area, officials said, only a thin, feeble crust of earth separating their feet from the acidic water bubbling beneath. The siblings, from Oregon, were exploring the Norris Geyser Basin, officials said, the park's oldest and hottest thermal area, when they deviated from the boardwalk that hovers safely above ground and took their adventure off course. Keller / National Park Service archives 1978)Ĭolin Scott and his sister, Sable, came Tuesday for the mesmerizing hot springs, a favorite sightseeing stop for millions of tourists each year at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, where mineral deposits tint crystal clear pools of steaming water brilliant shades of blue, green, orange and yellow. Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park (William S.
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