Victim Identified After Foot Found Floating In Yellowstone Hot Spring

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY - A human foot found in August at Yellowstone National Park's Abyss Pool, located in the West Thumb Geyser Basin, belonged to Il Hun Ro, a 70-year-old male from Los Angeles, California, rangers confirmed.

The identification was made within the last three weeks thanks to DNA analysis.

In August, park staff discovered part of a foot in a shoe floating in the Abyss Pool, according to park officials. Following an investigation, Yellowstone law enforcement officers estimated that the incident, which had no witnesses, happened on the morning of July 31 and that no foul play was involved.

Due to a lack of evidence, officials were not able to determine the circumstances which led to Ro's death, rangers said.

Abyss Pool has a depth of more than 50 feet and is one of the deepest hot springs in the park. Its temperature is approximately 140 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Park Service.

To prevent injury and death, the National Park Service warns visitors to stay on boardwalks and trails in thermal areas and exercise extreme caution around thermal features, adding that the ground in hydrothermal areas is fragile and thin and there is scalding water just below the surface.