Multiple Tourists Stick Their Hands In Scalding Hot Spring @ Yellowstone National Park
Shocking footage out of Yellowstone National Park where a tourist with two children was spotted putting their hands into the water of a hot spring despite the high temperatures and strict rules against it.
Reddit user DifficultyOptimal530 shared this footage that they captured in the park, showing what appears to be an adult woman with two children sticking their hands into the hydrothermal waters. Apparently the people could be heard saying things like “that’s really hot” and “it’s like actual magma” while flinging the scalding water off their hands. The person behind the camera did apparently tell the people to stop touching the water but they ignored the advice.
Yellowstone National Park is home to more than 10,000 hydrothermal features including hot springs, geysers, mudpots, and fumaroles. It is the most extraordinary collection of such features in the world, with more than 500 geysers alone spread throughout the park. Microorganisms called thermophiles call the hydrothermal features of Yellowstone their home, relying on the extreme to survive and thrive.
Yellowstone’s hydrothermal features are a common tourist attraction and while incredibly unique, it’s important that all visitors understand the safety rules that come with them. The features and their thermal runoff can all be extremely hot and can cause burns. They also contain algae, bacteria, and fungi found nowhere else int he world, and touching them can destroy them. Never touch Yellowstone’s thermal features, stay on boardwalks, and respect the park rules. Read more on safety in the thermal areas below.
Yellowstone National Park Thermal Area Safety:
Burns from thermal features are a common cause of serious injury and death in the park. The ground surrounding these features may look solid, but it can be just a thin crust with super-heated water below.
Stay on boardwalks
Always walk on boardwalks and designated trails. Keep children close and do not let them run on boardwalks.
Don’t touch thermal features or runoff
Even thermal runoff can be extremely hot and cause burns. Hot springs also contain algae, bacteria, and fungi found nowhere else in the world; coming in contact with these life forms can destroy them. Resist the temptation to touch!
Swimming or soaking in hot springs is prohibited
More than 20 people have died from burns suffered after they entered or fell into Yellowstone’s hot springs. For your safety and for the protection of thermal features in Yellowstone, it is illegal to swim or bathe in any water that is entirely of thermal origin.
Pets are prohibited in thermal areas
Pets are not allowed in thermal areas or on boardwalks, even if they’re on a leash or carried in arms, strollers, or backpacks. This policy exists to protect our pets from being burned or killed in hot springs.
Trained service animals that perform tasks directly related to a person’s disability are allowed throughout the park and in all park facilities. They must be leashed at all times.
If you feel sick, leave the thermal area immediately
Toxic gases may accumulate to dangerous levels in some hydrothermal areas. If you begin to feel sick while exploring a geyser basin, leave the area immediately.
Leave a Reply