It wouldn’t be a day ending in “y” without a tourist having a mishap at Yellowstone National Park.
The latest snafu comes courtesy of five visitors who accidentally drove their SUV into the Semi-Centennial Geyser – a hot, acidic pond located near the park’s Roaring Mountain, between Mammoth Hot Springs and Norris Junction.
The geyser has been inactive since 1922, when it experienced a series of eruptions so violent that water was reportedly ejected more than 300 feet (91 meters) into the air. Nevertheless, falling into it would not be a pleasant experience: with water temperatures of around 105 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius) and a pH only just above three, it would be more akin to jumping into a hot tub full of vinegar than a nice dip in a pool.
Image credit: National Park Service
The car was fully submerged under about nine feet (2.74 meters) of this hot, acidic water, park officials said in a statement released on Friday. Thankfully, all five of the vehicle’s occupants were able to get out on their own, and were taken via ambulance to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The roadway near the accident was closed temporarily the next day in order to retrieve the car, which was extracted with the help of local businesses. It was reopened after about two hours.
No details have been released about the people involved, and the incident is currently under investigation by park authorities. Meanwhile, the statement reminds tourists to “stay informed about current road conditions” and “please stay safe.”
And with more than 10,000 hydrothermal features in the park – more than anywhere else on Earth – that advice is always welcome. Of course, the water isn’t the only danger in Yellowstone: only this week, the park raised the fire danger to “high”, meaning that wildfires are likely and may be difficult to control.
But if history is any indication, the biggest threat to tourists? It may just be themselves.
After all – whether it’s a would-be photographer trying to get to the most dangerous geyser in the world for a sweet pic, or a kindly old lady thinking that a massive angry bison looks huggable, one thing is for sure: those Yellowstone park rangers really have their work cut out for them.
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