Beyond their interest in spotting grizzly bears, elk, and bighorn sheep, millions of visitors flock to Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park every year to witness the geothermal phenomena at play around the volcanic hotspot, spilling over the surface in the form of erupting geysers and boiling hot springs. On Tuesday, one such tourist was trying to get a closer look when he slipped and fell into a hot spring in the Norris Geyser Basin, a 115,000-year-old geothermal area considered the most dynamic area in the park.
Colin Nathaniel Scott, 23, of Portland, Oregon, was visiting the park with his sister when—despite signs warning visitors to stay on the designated 2.25-mile boardwalks that traverse the Norris Geyser Basin—he reportedly ventured 225 yards off the path and fell into a hot spring. Authorities on Wednesday suspended efforts to recover the body, as they determined the exceedingly high water temperatures and acidity in the basin made it unlikely that any remains were left in the spring, the Los Angeles Times reported.
According to Yellowstone's website, the Norris Geyser Basin is the hottest geothermal area in the park. Water temperatures in hot springs can reach 199 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius), water's boiling point at the park's high elevation, and can get even higher in geysers, as the water is pushed through a constricted underground plumbing system.
The accident has brought attention to the other incidents of tourists ignoring warning signs around Yellowstone—whether that means interacting with wild animals or attempting to save a dog who had fallen into a hot spring. Since 1890, at least 22 visitors have died in the park, either from encounters with wild animals or by venturing off the boardwalk when touring the geysers. "This tragic event must remind all of us to follow the regulations and stay on boardwalks when visiting Yellowstone's geyser basins," park superintendent Dan Wenk said in a statement.
Yellowstone, the country's oldest national park, welcomes around four million visitors every year—and numbers may be even higher in 2016, as the National Park Service celebrates its 100th birthday. This tragic incident is a reminder that Yellowstone's incredible beauty also holds many dangers.