Law enforcement officers have finally solved the mystery of a human foot found floating in the Abyss Pool at Yellowstone National Park in July this year. As NBC Montana reports, the remains belong to a 70-year-old man named Il Hun Ro, from Los Angeles.
The foot was identified three weeks ago using DNA analysis, and Ro's family have now been informed. Officers don't suspect foul play, and believe that only Ro was involved in the incident that led to his death.
Ro's foot was discovered by a park employee in the Abyss Pool, which is over 50ft deep and has a typical temperature of around 140F (60C), causing widespread alarm and comparisons to earlier accidents where people have died in Yellowstone's hot springs.
While the Abyss Pool certainly isn't the hottest of Yellowstone's geothermal features, it's hot enough to cause serious injury. The pool is also particularly alkaline, though as Live Science reports, normal decomposition (which always happens more rapidly in water) can cause body parts to become detached.
Yellowstone would like to thank the investigating Park Rangers and special agents, Teton County (Wyoming) Coroner’s Office, Teton County (Wyoming) Search and Rescue, and Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation for their help in the investigation.
