In a tragic tale of heroism gone awry, a man who was scalded to death while attempting to save his dog from a boiling hot spring uttered a self-deprecating remark before succumbing to his injuries.
Back in 1981, David Alan Kirwan, 24, along with his pal Ronald Ratliff and Ratliff's dog Moosie, were strolling through Yellowstone Park when the canine leapt into a steaming hot spring . The spring, known as Celestine Spring, could reach blistering temperatures of up to 200F.
Ignoring bystanders' warnings and driven by the desperate cries of his suffering dog, Kirwan, from La Cañada Flintridge, California, made the fateful decision to attempt a rescue. He took two steps into the scorching pool before plunging headfirst into the near-boiling waters.
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Kirwan managed to reach Moosie and tried to pull him to safety, but tragically, he went under after releasing the dog. Ratliff rushed to aid Kirwan, pulling him from the spring, but not without sustaining second-degree burns to his own feet in the process, reports the Daily Star .
Bystanders moved Kirwan to a clear area, trying to comfort him as they waited for emergency services to arrive. Among the chaos, Kirwan's words resonated with those present: "That was stupid. How bad am I? That was a stupid thing I did."
Kirwan's condition following the incident was nothing short of horrific. He had lost his sight, turned white, and was losing hair. When a park visitor tried to remove one of his shoes, the skin came off with it as it had already begun to peel all over his body.
Kirwan sustained third-degree burns on 100% of his body. Despite enduring several excruciating hours, Kirwan succumbed to his injuries the next morning at a Salt Lake City hospital. Sadly, Moosie also died, and her body was never recovered.
Since 1870, there have been 22 reported fatalities due to scalding from the park's hot springs. Among them was 23-year-old Colin Scott who died in 2016 after falling into blistering waters near Porkchop Geyser.
Colin and his sister, Sable, had reportedly ventured into a restricted area in search of a spot for swim. After ignoring warning signs to stay on the boardwalk, the siblings were filmed stepping off the Norris Geyser Basin's boardwalk in their quest for the perfect pool.
Before they could find the ideal spot, Colin lost his footing and plunged into the blue water. Sable ran to alert authorities but by the time she returned with park rangers it was too late and just parts of Colin's head, upper torso, and hands were visible in the hot spring.
They were unable to safely retrieve his body and upon returning the following morning it appeared he had dissolved, with just his wallet and flip-flops left behind.
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