Colin Nathaniel Scott, 23, dies after falling into Norris Geyser Basin hot spring in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Man Confirmed Dead After Fall in Yellowstone Hot Spring
Colin Nathaniel Scott, 23, of Portland, slipped and fell in a hot spring near Porkchop Geyser Tuesday afternoon after he and his sister left the boardwalk in the Norris Geyser Basin, park officials said in a statement.
Rangers confirmed Scott's death Tuesday evening, the park said. An effort to retrieve his remains was called off Wednesday because there was nothing that could safely be recovered, park spokeswoman Charissa Reid said.
The sister, who saw the accident and reported it to authorities, was not injured, Reid said.
Death in boiling hot spring shows importance of park rules
It follows a string of incidents that have raised questions about tourist behavior at the nation's first national park, where visitor numbers are surging. That includes people getting too close to wildlife and entering dangerous areas in violation of regulations.
Scott graduated from Pacific University and previously worked at the Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve in Oregon, said Mary Loftin, a manager at the Hillsboro, Oregon, parks and recreation department. Scott worked there for about 20 months fielding questions from visitors, and his stint ended last year, she said.
National Park Service: Norris Area
Norris Geyser Basin is the hottest, oldest, and most dynamic of Yellowstone's thermal areas. The highest temperature yet recorded in any geothermal area in Yellowstone was measured in a scientific drill hole at Norris: 459°F (237°C) just 1,087 feet (326 meters) below the surface! There are very few thermal features at Norris under the boiling point (199°F at this elevation).
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