Yellowstone National Park is asking tourists to exercise “extreme caution” around thermal features after the discovery Tuesday of human remains in Abyss Pool in the West Thumb Geyser Basin.
The park launched an investigation after an employee found part of a foot inside a shoe floating in the scalding pool.
The park said in a statement that foul play is not expected and that “the incident involving one individual likely occurred on the morning of July 31, 2022, at Abyss Pool.”
It’s hoped that the investigation will reveal the cause of death. The victim was not identified.
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Abyss Pool is 53 feet deep and the water temperature is 140-plus degrees. The West Thumb Geyer Basin, in the south portion of the park, was closed after the discovery but has since reopened.
In 2016 an Oregon man died after falling into a hot spring while hiking off-trail in a prohibited area, looking for a place to swim.
The park said in a news release: “Visitors are reminded to stay on boardwalks and trails in thermal areas and exercise extreme caution around thermal features. The ground in hydrothermal areas is fragile and thin, and there is scalding water just below the surface.”
The park’s website adds: “Keep your children close and don’t let them run.”
–Image showing Abyss Pool is courtesy of Yellowstone National Park
