A man suffered a horrifying death in the US after reportedly attempting to ‘hot pot’ at Yellowstone National Park. The breathtaking park is famous for its incredible scenery and natural hot springs, but those geothermal features can also be extremely dangerous.
One of the largest magma chambers on Earth lies beneath Yellowstone, helping fuel the park’s numerous geothermal features. As a result, the water in some of its hot springs can reach dangerously high temperatures.
The hot springs are surrounded by boardwalks, barriers and warning signs, with visitors repeatedly urged not to approach or enter the water. Despite those warnings, Colin Scott and his sister, Sable Scott, reportedly went into the area intending to try “hot potting” — the illegal practice of entering a natural hot spring.
“They were specifically moving in that area for a place that they could potentially get into and soak,” Deputy Chief Ranger Lorant Veress told KULR at the time.
Sable had reportedly been filming as she and Colin intentionally left the boardwalk in the Norris Geyser Basin. According to reports, Colin fell into one of the pools while apparently trying to test the water with his finger.
The cellphone captured the moment he slipped into the spring, along with Sable’s desperate attempts to help him. Because there was no cellphone service in the area, Sable reportedly had to make her way back to a nearby museum to get assistance.
Several hours later, rescuers discovered Colin’s body floating in the pool. However, a thunderstorm forced officials to suspend the recovery operation.
When rescuers returned the following day, they were reportedly unable to find Colin’s remains. The only belongings left behind were his wallet and a pair of flip-flops.
In his incident report, Veress described the water conditions that day as particularly acidic. He noted that there had been “a significant amount of dissolving” in a very short period of time.
Yellowstone’s geothermal waters can be extremely hot, with temperatures near the surface reaching around 199°F (93°C), while temperatures can become even more extreme deeper within the pools.
The National Park Service strongly warns visitors to stay on designated boardwalks and trails when traveling through thermal areas.
“Hot springs have injured or killed more people in Yellowstone than any other natural feature,” the agency warns on its safety information.
It is a deeply disturbing tragedy — and one that serves as a chilling reminder of why Yellowstone’s safety warnings should never be ignored.
If this story caught your attention, you may also want to read about a pregnant mother and her two young sons who were found dead inside a camper at a Kansas motocross track.