Yellowstone probes possible link to human foot found in floating shoe at hot springs
Abyss Pool has a depth of more than 50 feet and is one of the deepest hot springs in the park. Its temperature is approximately 140 degrees.
Yellowstone National Park
A look at the United States' first National Park: Yellowstone.
HELENA, Mont. – A disturbing discovery found floating in a Yellowstone hot spring earlier this week is believed to be linked to a recent death, park officials believe.
A part of a human foot found in a shoe was reported by a park employee on Tuesday in the Abyss Pool, located in the West Thumb Geyser Basin in the southern part of the national park.
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Currently, the park believes there was no foul play. An investigation by Yellowstone National Park law enforcement officers is ongoing to determine the circumstances of the death.
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Abyss Pool has a depth of more than 50 feet and is one of the deepest hot springs in the park.
(Diane Renkin / NPS)
The West Thumb Geyser Basin and parking lot were temporarily closed to visitors but have since reopened.
Abyss Pool has a depth of more than 50 feet and is one of the deepest hot springs in the park. Its temperature is approximately 140 degrees.
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Visitors are reminded to stay on boardwalks and trails in thermal areas and exercise extreme caution around thermal features. Park officials warn the ground in hydrothermal areas is fragile and thin, and scalding water is just below the surface.
An injury or death is an extremely rare event at Yellowstone. Only 22 people have been reported killed in the park's more than 10,000 unique terrain features such as geysers and hot springs.
The most recent death happened on June 7, 2016, when a 23-year-old Portland, Oregon, walked off the designated boardwalk, slipped, and fell into a hot spring at the Norris Geyser Basin.