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Man falls into hot spring at Yellowstone Park

Man falls into hot spring at Yellowstone Park
Posted at 10:25 PM, Jun 07, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-07 22:25:25-04

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) — Rangers searched Tuesday for a man who reportedly fell into a hot spring at Yellowstone National Park.

Someone reported seeing a man in his early 20s walk off the boardwalk in the Norris Geyser Basin area and fall into the thermal spring about 225 yards away. Rangers said the man probably died because he has not been located, and searchers are being extra cautious because of the spring's dangerous thermal features.

No other information was released, and a call to the park's communications office was not immediately returned Tuesday evening.

The Norris Geyser Basin is the hottest and most dynamic thermal area in Yellowstone, which features springs that can reach temperatures close to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tuesday's search comes on the heels of several other high-profile incidents at the park.

On Saturday, a 13-year-old boy was burned around his ankle and foot after his father, who had been carrying him, slipped in the park's Upper Geyser Basin hot spring.

In May, a Canadian film crew was accused of leaving an established boardwalk and stepping onto a geothermal feature where they snapped photos and took video of themselves.

Also last month, another Canadian man loaded a bison calf into his SUV because he thought it was cold. The calf later had to be euthanized because it could not be reunited with its herd.

In April, park officials warned people against approaching wildlife in the park after a woman was caught on video petting a bison.

Nearly 4.1 million people visited Yellowstone in 2015.