Colin Scott, 23, died in 2016 after he slipped and fell into a hot spring in Yellowstone National Park – and his death was accidentally recorded by his sister
A man met a horrific fate in Yellowstone Park when he opted for a dip in one of its famed hot springs.
In a heartbreaking twist, Colin Scott’s demise was unwittingly recorded by his sister on her mobile, inadvertently capturing her brother’s final moments.
The national park is celebrated for its diverse wildlife and a ‘supervolcano’ that could potentially pose a threat to the entirety of humankind.
It’s reported that the hot springs have claimed more lives than animal attacks within the park, including those by bears, wolves, and mountain lions. The sprawling 2.2 million-acre park is home to 200 species of animals, many of which are capable of inflicting harm or even causing death to humans.
The park, perched on top of a colossal magma body and hotspot plume beneath the Yellowstone Caldera, also known as the supervolcano, results in the park’s geysers and springs being incredibly hot, highly acidic, and extremely dangerous, reports the Mirror US, reports the Daily Record.
Colin Scott is one such casualty of these treacherous hot springs. In 2016, Colin, then only 23, lost his life after slipping into one of the park’s hot springs near the Porkchop Geyser, as reported by The Daily Star.
Initially, the blistering water began to boil him alive, but shockingly, his ordeal didn’t end there. His body was dissolved by the acidic water before any rescue could be attempted.
Police reports released after Colin’s tragic demise showed that he and his sister, Sable, had wandered into a prohibited area in search of a place for an illicit dip, engaging in the risky activity known as ‘hot potting’.
In a fatal misjudgement, Scott and his sister ignored explicit warnings around the site advising visitors to stay on the boardwalk.
Sable recorded them deliberately leaving the safety of Norris Geyser Basin’s boardwalk, looking for a tempting spot to swim when Colin tragically fell into the boiling waters.
The police report said: “The smartphone recorded the moment he slipped and fell into the pool and her efforts to rescue him.”
The harrowing footage captured by Sable has been kept from the public eye but remains in the custody of law enforcement.
With no signal to call for help, a frantic Sable dashed to a nearby museum to raise the alarm.
But by the time she returned with park rangers, it was devastatingly too late; parts of Colin’s head, upper body, and hands were eerily visible in the searing hot spring.
The official police narrative concluded: “Due to the report of the individual not previously visible, a lack of movement, suspected extreme temperatures, and indications of several thermal burns, the subject was determined to be deceased.”
A separate account from US park ranger Phil Strehle noted that the deceased was seen wearing a V-neck T-shirt style garment, with what looked like a cross visible and positioned on his face.
However, the retrieval of the man’s body was hindered by treacherous conditions. “Volatile” thermal heat proved a significant issue, and with a looming lightning storm posing further danger, recovery efforts were halted.
When the rescue team returned the next day to resume their efforts, Colin’s body was no longer visible.
This subsequent report backs up the police’s conclusion that Colin’s body had disintegrated overnight, leaving behind only his wallet and flip-flops.
Water temperatures in the basin usually hover around 93C, but on the day rescuers endeavoured to recover Colin’s body, the pool had reached a scorching 100C – its boiling point.
Additional commentary within the report stated: “The consensus among the rescue/recovery team … was that the extreme heat of the hot spring, coupled with its acidic nature, dissolved the remains.”