[Carruthers]

And it still happens....

Man's body 'dissolved' by Yellowstone hot spring after seeking place to swim

Colin Scott, 23, was looking for a ‘hot pot’ to swim in with his sister
Rescuers concluded that extreme heat and acidity dissolved remains

An Oregon man who died and “dissolved” after falling into a boiling, acidic hot spring at Yellowstone national park last June had been looking for a place to swim, officials investigating the incident have concluded.

Colin Scott, 23, was hiking through a prohibited section of the park on 7 June with his sister, Sable, when Scott fell into a hot spring “and did not get out”, according to a report released by the National Park Service on Thursday.

Deputy chief ranger Lorant Veress told a local news station, KULR-TV, the pair were searching for a place to “hot pot”, the illegal practice of swimming in one of the park’s thermal features.

When park officials arrived, portions of Colin Scott’s head, upper torso and hands were visible in the hot spring.

“Due to the report of the individual not previously visible, a lack of movement, suspected extreme temperatures, and indications of several thermal burns, the subject was determined to be deceased,” US park ranger Phil Strehle wrote in a 9 June report. A v-neck-style shirt was visible, he said, and “what appeared to be a cross was visible and resting on the subject’s face”.

Rescuers were unable to safely recover Scott’s body, due to the “volatile” thermal area and an incoming lightning storm. When officials returned the following morning, Scott’s body was no longer visible.

“The consensus among the rescue/recovery team … was that the extreme heat of the hot spring, coupled with its acidic nature, dissolved the remains,” a report said. A wallet and a pair of flip-flops belonging to Scott were recovered.

Complete article at The Guardian. dated 17th Nov.