A tourist at Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park faced ire after a video surfaced of them walking on the geyser.
Despite signage urging visitors to stay on the boardwalk, the tourist decided to hop off and walk on the surface of the geyser. In the video, shared on the Tourons of Yellowstone (@touronsofyellowstone) Instagram, an individual in a red jacket walked on top of the dangerous landmark.
However, others in the area were quick to react. In the video, you can hear fellow tourists yelling at the person to get off the geyser. A deep voice stood out among the crowd, exclaiming, "Hey, get off there!"
As the chorus of anger grew, the tourist turned around and walked back toward where they came from. The post's caption explained what happened next: "The guy got escorted to the ranger car. A worker from one of the lodges at Old Faithful called it in."
While this tourist made it out unharmed, staying on the boardwalks in Yellowstone is vital for everyone's safety. The National Park Service explained that although the ground around geysers may look solid, it can be a "thin crust" with boiling water right below.
If a tourist starts to slip through, they may experience severe injuries or even death. The USGS reiterated that getting the perfect picture or picking up fallen items is not worth the risk of ignoring these precautions.
The NPS also highlighted that the algae, fungi, and bacteria in the hot springs are unique to Yellowstone — and that human contact damages or kills them.
Unfortunately, this is a common trend at national parks across the country, from issues in Yellowstone to those in Sequoia and Yosemite. Thankfully, with bystanders willing to speak up, we can help keep these parks — and other humans — safe.
With that said, people in the comments were just as unamused by the tourist's actions as the crowd who saw it happen. Starting with a shocked-face emoji, one person wrote, "There simply aren't words."
Another person highlighted the danger of the situation: "I've lived close to the park all of my life. He's lucky he didn't go through the crust … It can cost you your life."
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A third user discussed the potential consequences of poor tourist behavior, stating, "Because of people like this we are going to see 6 [foot] fences everywhere [which] ruin it for everyone."
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