A human foot floats in a natural pool in Americas

A human foot floats in a natural pool in America’s oldest national park

Authorities urged visitors to stay away from the hot springs; Accidents are not uncommon in the region

GEORGE FREY/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/Getty Images via AFPRemains in Lake USA

A human foot was found Friday in a natural pool in Yellowstone National Park, officials said, urging visitors to stay away from the hot springs. The foot was found in a shoe in the Abyss Pool, one of the park’s deepest hot springs, which has a temperature of around 60 degrees Celsius. “Evidence from the investigation to date indicates that an incident involving a person likely occurred on the morning of July 31, 2022,” read a statement from park officials, who are currently ruling out the possibility of a homicide. Accidents are not uncommon in the thermal baths that spring from the oldest national park in the world United States. In 2016, a young man died after slipping and falling into a hot spring in Norris Geyser Basin. Last year, two people needed treatment after suffering burns in the park’s water. “The ground in hydrothermal areas is fragile and thin, and water is boiling just below the surface,” the statement added, warning visitors to “stay on designated trails.” Yellowstone, which welcomed more than 4.8 million visitors last year, covers almost 9,000 square kilometers in the states of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. The park includes hot springs, tidal flats, steam vents, and about half of the world’s active geysers, including the famous Old Faithful.

*With information from AFP