Five rushed to hospital after car plunges into hot, acidic geyser in Yellowstone National Park – as cops investigate

FIVE people were rushed to the hospital after a car they were riding in went off the road and into an inactive acidic geyser.

Officials said that the people involved in the accident were spotted Thursday morning driving near the semi-centennial geyser thermal pool before the vehicle fell into the water.

National Park Service via AP

National Park Service via AP

National Park Service via AP

Yellowstone National Park officials told CBS that the group managed to escape 105-degree Fahrenheit acidic water.

Spokesperson Morgan Warthin said the vehicle was submerged in about nine feet of water.

The passengers were taken to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Following the accident, the roadway was shut down to traffic while police and rescue crews extracted the vehicle from the water.

Park officials have yet to determine the cause of the incident.

The geyser is located near Roaring Mountain and between Mammoth Hot Springs and Norris Junction.

The Semi-Centennial Geyser, which was the site of a major explosion in 1922, has been inactive for over a century.

In the statement, officials thanked Hanser’s Automotive, US Water Rescue Dive Team, HK, Contractors, Resource Technologies Incorporated, and Yellowstone Park Service Stations for their removal of the car “in such an expeditious manner.”

The park, which resides close to the Idaho- Montana border, is no stranger to accidents.

In July 2023, a public school teacher named Amie Anderson was killed in the park when she encountered a grizzly bear while backpacking across the US.

According to wildlife officials, the 47-year-old’s body was discovered near a hiking trail on the western side near the border.

Officials said that the bear in question was traveling with a cub.

The attack happened a few hundred yards from a trailhead and private campground.

How do geysers work?

Below, find a brief explanation of geysers work

Geysers are hot springs that prevent water from circulating freely to the surface where heat would escape.

As pressure increases due to the heating, steam forms and expands, increasing pressure further.

At a critical point, the confined bubbles lift the water above the surface vent, causing the geyser to splash or overflow.

The decrease in pressure and continuing eruption produce tremendous amounts of steam force water out of the vent, and an eruption begins.

Because water from the geyser is not as easily replaced, the heat and pressure gradually decrease. The eruption stops when the water reservoir is depleted or when the system cools.

Her family confirmed on Facebook that she was the victim of the attack.

Heartbroken friends and loved ones said that Adamson died doing what she loved.

“This is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever had to put on here,” her mom Janet said.

“Yesterday morning we lost our beautiful, smart, talented daughter, Amie. Our firstborn.”

The Kansas native left behind some of her most memorable experiences in her book titled Walking Out: One Teacher’s Reflections on Walking out of the Classroom to Walk America.

“Every morning, she’d get up early, and she’d walk, hike or run,” Janet said.

“Running through that beauty of Yellowstone – she was almost in heaven.”

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