Colin Scott: The Yellowstone Tourist Who Was Boiled Alive By A Hot Spring
FacebookColin Scott was looking for a place to swim in Yellowstone National Park when he tragically fell into blazing hot water.
In 2016, a 23-year-old Oregon man named Colin Scott and his sister Sable were visiting Yellowstone National Park when they decided to wander into a prohibited section in search of a place to swim or to soak.
Although certain regions of the park are safe and open for swimming, the Norris Geyser Basin is not one of them. According to the National Park Service, the basin is the oldest and hottest thermal region in the park. Most thermal features in the region reach at least 199 degrees Fahrenheit.
But its natural beauty makes it a popular spot for visitors. One area of the basin has a 1.5-mile trail of boardwalks, where tourists can safely explore. Generally, those sticking to the boardwalks won’t encounter any issues.
Colin and Sable Scott, however, did not stick to the boardwalks.
Going off the path, the siblings explored a restricted area near the basin and looked for a spot to “get into and soak.” Sable was filming a video of her brother trekking along when he suddenly tripped — and fell into a hot spring.
In a panic, Sable desperately tried to help her brother out of the water, but she couldn’t save him. Since she had no cell phone service at the basin, she ran to a nearby museum for help, according to The Guardian.
But when park officials arrived, Colin was already dead, and authorities could only see “portions” of his head, torso, and hands in the spring. He had been boiled alive. And unfortunately for his family members, an incoming storm made it too difficult for officials to safely recover his body that day.
By the next morning, his body was no longer visible. A report concluded: “The consensus among the rescue/recovery team… was that the extreme heat of the hot spring, coupled with its acidic nature, dissolved the remains.”
