The National Park Service is celebrating its centennial this summer. At the nation’s first park, attendance is on the rise. But deadly incidents this year at Yellowstone are reminders of the inherent wildness of the park.
Twenty-three-year-old Colin Scott was 225 yards away from the designated boardwalk at the Norris Geyser Basin when he apparently slipped and fell into a hot spring. Scott is the 22nd person known to have died in the park's acidic pools.
Yellowstone spokesperson Jody Lyle says the death is a tragic reminder for visitors to follow park rules. Lyle says signs are posted at thermal areas warning people about the dangers of getting too close.
“We do want to use this incident as another opportunity to really explain to the public the importance of following Park regulations in our thermal areas,” Lyle says.
Scott’s death was the latest in a string of bad publicity for the park. But Lyle says it's not that these kinds of things weren't happening before -- but that social media means the stories spread faster and reach more people.
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