MAMMOTH, WYOMING — A 23-year-old man who died in Yellowstone National Park last summer was reportedly trying to find a place to soak in the area’s natural hot springs.
Portland, Oregon graduate Colin Scott was killed on June 7 when his body dissolved in the boiling acidic waters of a hot spring in the Norris Geyser basin.
Yellowstone officials released the final incident report following a Freedom of Information Act request by NBC affiliate KULR.
Scott’s sister Sable filmed the whole thing on her cellphone, according to the report, but the video has not been released to the public.
An official said there are signs in the park that warn visitors not to fool around with its natural geothermal features. But the Scott siblings were allegedly trying to do just that, by looking for a place to take a dangerous dip, known as a “hot pot.”
Sable Scott filmed on her cellphone as her brother checked the water temperature, only to slip and fall into the churning hot spring.
Although rescue workers found Colin’s body, their efforts were disrupted by a lightning storm, and by the time they got back to the hot spring, the body had dissolved in the water.
No citations were issued in connection with the incident.
Hot spring-related injuries have claimed at least 22 lives in and around Yellowstone since 1890, the Washington Post reported, citing park officials.