
A tourist visiting Yellowstone National Park has been caught on camera leaning over to touch one of the hottest thermal springs in the Fountain Paint Pot area. After ignoring warnings from visitors on the boardwalk by Silex Spring, she appears to scald herself, jumping back and complaining that the water is "really hot".
The average water temperature in Silex Spring is 174.7°F (79.3°C). According to an article published in the Journal of Burn Care Research, exposure to hot water at 140°F can lead to a serious burn within three seconds, so getting close to this particular spring is incredibly dangerous. An accidental slip could have been fatal.