An investigation started when a Yellowstone staff member discovered a foot fragment floating in a hot spring at the national park, enclosed in a shoe.
The West Thumb Geyser Basin and its parking lot were temporarily closed as a result of the finding, which was made on Tuesday at Abyss Pool in the southern region of Yellowstone. Since then, the area has reopened.
Park spokesperson Morgan Warthin said on Thursday that authorities are currently looking into the discovery but have no further information.
The West Thumb of Yellowstone Lake’s Abyss Pool is 53 feet (16 metres) deep and is roughly 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius), according to park officials. It is located on the southern side of the park’s southern loop.
Also Read: In pics: Nations display military might at International Army Games hosted by Russia
In these hot springs, superheated water lowers and is replenished by hotter water from below as it cools as it approaches the surface. According to the park’s website, the circulation keeps the water from heating up to the temperature required to produce a geyser.
Even though they are one of Yellowstone’s most well-known attractions, hot springs can be fatally threatening. The park claims that more people have been hurt or killed by hot springs in Yellowstone than by any other natural feature.
In 2016, a guy from Oregon went into a boiling, acidic spring, where he was killed and his body “dissolved.”
(with inputs from agencies)
