On June 7, 2016, Colin Nathaniel Scott, a 23-year-old American man from

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

, died after falling into a thermal hot spring in

Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...

. The incident occurred in the

Norris Geyser Basin The geothermal areas of Yellowstone include several geyser basins in Yellowstone National Park as well as other Geothermal activity, geothermal features such as hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles. The number of thermal features in Yellowstone ...

, an area known for its geothermal features, including acidic and high-temperature

hot spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a Spring (hydrology), spring produced by the emergence of Geothermal activity, geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow ...

s. Scott and his sister, Sable Scott, had deviated from the designated boardwalk area and entered a restricted section of the park. Reports indicate that they intended to partake in "hot potting," the prohibited activity of bathing in Yellowstone's thermal pools.

Background

Scott had recently graduated from

Pacific University Pacific University is a private university in Forest Grove, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1849 as the Tualatin Academy, the original Forest Grove campus is west of Portland. Affiliated with the United Church of Christ, the school mainta ...

in Oregon and was traveling to Yellowstone National Park with his sister. He was a top student in his program. He had worked at

Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States, is a wetlands area along the Tualatin River in Washington County, Oregon. Located on the south end of the city along Highway 219, this lowland area is a designated Important ...

in Oregon. He had planned to enter a doctoral program at

Portland State University Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon, United States. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the next ...

. After parking near the Norris Geyser Basin, the pair entered the prohibited area and walked 225 feet away from the prescribed boardwalk route. Yellowstone National Park regulations prohibit leaving designated paths in geothermal areas due to the extreme temperatures and acidity of the hot springs. Park officials stated that hot springs are a leading natural cause of injury or death in Yellowstone, with at least 22 recorded fatalities since 1890 at the time.

Incident

According to park reports, Sable Scott filmed their journey as they walked several hundred feet off the boardwalk. When they reached a thermal pool, Colin Scott knelt down to check the water temperature but slipped and fell in. The water in the Norris Geyser Basin can reach temperatures of over 93 °C (199 °F). His sister attempted to help but was unable to rescue him. Due to a lack of mobile phone service in the area, she had to travel to a nearby ranger station to seek assistance.

Recovery effort

When park officials arrived at the scene, they initially found partial remains, including Scott's head, upper torso, and hands. However, the extreme heat of the spring, along with an incoming lightning storm, prevented immediate recovery. By the following day, the extremely hot water had dissolved his body, leaving only a few personal belongings, such as his wallet and flip-flops.

Reaction and aftermath

The incident was widely covered in the media and reinforced warnings from park officials about the dangers of leaving designated pathways in geothermal areas. One academic wrote that Scott's tragic death in a Yellowstone hot spring highlights both the consequences of disregarding safety measures and the broader scientific implications of organic decomposition,

thermophile A thermophile is a type of extremophile that thrives at relatively high temperatures, between . Many thermophiles are archaea, though some of them are bacteria and fungi. Thermophilic eubacteria are suggested to have been among the earliest bacte ...

s, and potential alternative postmortem practices.{{Cite web , last=Thorson , first=Robert , date=July 31, 2021 , title=A Lesson From Yellowstone's Deadly Pools {{! Department of Earth Sciences , url=https://earthsciences.uconn.edu/2021/07/31/a-lesson-from-yellowstones-deadly-pools/ , access-date=March 15, 2025 , language=en-US

References

2016 deaths Yellowstone National Park 2016 in Wyoming June 2016 in the United States Accidental deaths in Wyoming