(Washington Insider Magazine)-Last week, rangers at Yellowstone National Park found a human foot in one of the park’s deepest hot springs. This discovery comes after devastation hit the nation’s most visited National Park earlier this summer. Footage from the previous event shows houses being swept away by intense flood waters and downpours as extreme weather ravaged the area.
Officials shut down a portion of the park amid the gruesome discovery, citing an ongoing investigation. At this time the park has reopened, and no official statement has been released as to the identification of the person associated with the foot.
The incident is still under investigation, but park officials stated that they believe this discovery is linked to an incident that occurred on July 31st also reported at the Abyss Pool at Yellowstone. Officials do not believe foul play was involved and suggested that this was an accident resulting from the hiker venturing too close to the thermal hot spring.
The Abyss Pool where the discovery was made is over 50 feet deep and contains scalding 140-degree Fahrenheit water that likely led to the hiker’s death. Officials released a statement urging visitors to stay on the trails and boardwalks in the thermal areas around the park and to be extremely careful since the ground in these areas is thin and prone to accidents.
Yellowstone experienced extreme weather earlier this year due to torrential downpours and mudslides, causing significant damage to homes and wildlife in the area. The park closed several entrances and reported that several roads in the park were washed away due to rockslides and intense flooding. Power outages and downed trees caused North Entrance Road to close and have not reopened since August 23, 2022.
What is Yellowstone National Park?
Yellowstone was founded in 1872 when it became the world’s first National Park. The park comprises over 2 million acres of preserved land and allows visitors to observe wildlife and explore hot springs in the park. Yellowstone is home to nearly half of the world’s active geothermal geysers.
The park also has a rich history since Native Americans inhabited the area for thousands of years before it was founded in 1872. There are currently 27 tribes formally associated with Yellowstone National Park, and ongoing efforts by park officials seek to exchange information with Native Americans and discuss resource management efforts in the park.
