By: Peggy L Henderson
I know Halloween is over, but
since my posting day is one day after, I thought I could still post about
something scary and terrifying…
Top Ten Ways to Die In Yellowstone
Boiling in a Hot Spring
People have fallen in, jumped in to rescue dogs or
personal items, or thought it was safe to bathe in . Some of the springs reach
temperatures in excess of 200 Degrees Fahrenheit.
Death by Bison
Gorings and stompings by bison occur often because
people don’t heed the warnings to stay at least 25 yards away. These animals
may look slow and docile, but a two ton bison can charge at 35 miles per hour.
That’s faster than the average human can run.
Lightning Strikes
Most lightning strikes occur while out boating or
hiking, and not having adequate cover when a storm hits.
Drowning
Aside from car
accidents and illnesses, drowning claims more lives than any other danger in
Yellowstone. Several deaths have been reported as recently as 2007–2010.
Swimmers who underestimate their abilities, boaters whose boats capsize, and
hikers who fall into a lake or river account for most of the drownings.
Poison Plants and Gases
Water hemlock looks a
lot like an edible wild parsnip or carrot, but it's a virulent poison. For both
of the confirmed deaths, it was, unfortunately, their final meal. Deadly hydrogen
sulphide, which occurs naturally in Yellowstone, killed a worker helping to dig
a pit in 1939.
Falling
One fall involved a
driver who backed his car off a cliff, killing both himself and his wife.
Several workers have died after falling from scaffoldings or buildings. Others
who have fallen to their deaths from cliffs have ignored warning signs and
wandered from established trails.
Exposure
A number of people
froze to death or died in avalanches in Yellowstone during its early years.
Since 1921, however, such deaths have been very rare; three people died in two
separate avalanches in the 1990s.
Rolling Rocks
Setting a boulder
tumbling into a canyon might seem like innocent fun until you realize there are
hikers down below. One person died this way, while several others were killed
by rocks that were unintentionally dislodged or just happened to fall.
Falling Trees
Although rare, deaths
from being hit by a tree have happened several times in Yellowstone, either
during logging operations or windstorms.
Grizzly Mauling
The first documented
death caused by a bear in Yellowstone happened in 1916; the latest two, in
summer 2011, after a gap of 25 years when no bear-related deaths were recorded.
Visitors have died while hiking, sleeping in tents, or getting too close to a
bear while trying to snap that perfect picture.
This
list was complied from one of my favorite books about Yellowstone. For more
details about deaths in America's oldest national park, check out Death
in Yellowstone - Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park
By
park historian Lee Whittlesey.
In
the introduction, the author states, “Play safely, and think before you act.”
Now
go out and enjoy your national parks!
6 comments:
Peggy, I am amazed people would try to bathe in the hot springs, but I can see trying to rescue a pet - although you'd think people would keep their pets away from danger. I've never been to the park, but have always wanted to go there. My parents went before I was born and my mom told of someone several cars ahead - in spite of warning signs - giving a bear a jar of honey. My parents watched the bear drain the jar (safely from their car). I can't imagine people being so stupid, can you? Being in a park doesn't mean the wildlife is tame.
Yellowstone is one of the most beautiful -- and at the same time, most terrifying -- places I've ever visited. I can understand accidentally becoming the victim of a rock or snow avalanche, falling off a cliff, or even stumbling into a mud pit or hot spring. Fooling with wildlife, though.... What are people thinking? The animals are called WILDlife for a reason! **shaking head**
Peggy, I always enjoy your posts about Yellowstone. That's for another eye-opener! :-)
Speaking of carelessness: "that's" should have been "thanks." :-D
One of our favorite things to do in Yellowstone is "people watching" and taking photos of tourists doing things that will land them in the next edition of "Death in Yellowstone"
Wow, there are certainly things to be aware of when you visit Yellowstone, Peggy. Like Kathleen said "it is called wildlife for a reason." Enjoyed your blog as usual.
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