June 9, 2016 Eruption of Yellowstone

Colin Scott and his sister, Sable, came Tuesday for the mesmerizing hot springs, a favorite sightseeing stop for millions of tourists each year at Yellowstone National Park, in Wyoming, where mineral deposits tint crystal-clear pools of steaming water brilliant shades of blue, green, orange and yellow. The siblings, from Oregon, were exploring the Norris Geyser Basin, officials said, the park’s oldest and hottest thermal area, when they deviated from the boardwalk that hovers safely aboveground and took their adventure off course. They walked 225 yards away from the boardwalk and into an isolated area, officials said, only a thin, feeble crust of earth separating their feet from the acidic water bubbling beneath. Then, somehow, Colin Scott slipped, and as his sister watched, the 23-year-old tumbled into one of the boiling springs. Despite her immediate call for help and the prolonged search efforts by park staff, her brother was never seen again. His flip-flops, reported NBC News, were one of the few things rescuers retrieved. They halted their recovery mission Wednesday, park spokeswoman Charissa Reid told the Associated Press, "due to the extreme nature and futility of it all." The water was highly acidic, Reid said, leaving "no remains left to recover." (reference #11744)