A photo has emerged of two people wandering off of a boardwalk at Yellowstone National Park to get a closer look at the acidic geothermal, Green Dragon Spring, with one of them crouching down to dip their fingers in the scalding hot water.
Captured by Mike Soecht, the fist image shows two people standing by the spring, and the second image showing one bending down to touch the sulfur lined water.
The images were shared by Tourons of Yellowstone, a social media page dedicated to highlighting tourists who break the rules in national parks.
The National Park Service warns visitors about the dangers of geothermal features saying, “hot springs have injured or killed more people in Yellowstone than any other natural feature”. Despite the warnings, there have been multiple people spotted venturing off of the boardwalks to dabble their fingers in the deadly scalding waters.
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Just last month, a woman was caught on camera scalding herself when she dipped her hand into the Silex Spring, where the water temps are high enough to cause serious burns in seconds.
“Do not touch thermal features or runoff,” the NPS warns. “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.”
Remember, when visiting Yellowstone National Park to remain on the designated boardwalks and to not touch any thermals or water features inside the park.
