The U.S. Army administered Yellowstone from 1886 to 1917 from the park headquarters at Fort Yellowstone. During the Army’s tenure, at least 14 soldiers died in the park.[1]
Killed by a bear at a camp near Sylvan Pass. He was carrying hay and oats when attacked; other campers later killed the bear with a dynamite trap.[2][3]
August 23, 1942
Martha Hansen
Mauled to death by a bear in the Old Faithful area. Hansen had left her cabin to go to an outdoor restroom at night, surprised a bear around a corner, and was attacked. Hansen succumbed to her injuries four days later in a hospital.[4][5]
June 24-25, 1972
Harry Eugene Walker
Mauled and partially consumed by a grizzly bear after he camped illegally in the backcountry.[6] Walker's death led to a high-profile wrongful death trial.[7]
July 30, 1984
Brigitta Fredenhagen
Dragged from her tent during the night and killed at a backcountry campsite at the southern end of White Lake.[8][9] Park investigations concluded the grizzly was likely food-conditioned.[10]
October 5, 1986
William Tesinsky
Mauled to death and partly eaten by a grizzly bear in the Otter Creek area of Hayden Valley.[11] Tesinsky had approached the bear too closely while trying to take photos.[12] The bear was later shot and killed by park rangers.[13]
July 6, 2011
Brian Matayoshi
Attacked and killed by a female grizzly with cubs on the Wapiti Lake Trail near Canyon Village.[14][15]
August 24, 2011
John Wallace
Body was found along the Mary Mountain Trail after hiking alone.[16][17] An autopsy confirmed he died from a bear attack.[18]
August 7, 2015
Lance Crosby
Killed by a grizzly bear in an off-trail area near Elephant Back Loop Trail[19][20][21]
Fell into a hot spring during a family excursion and died.[24]
September 1905
Fannie Weeks
Fell into a hot spring near Old Faithful and died a month later from her injuries.[23][25]
July 8, 1919
Jame Baxter Hughes
4-year-old boy from Gueydan, Louisiana, fell into hot spring at West Thumb Geyser Basin.[25]
August 15, 1927
Rollo Fallagher
Fell into a hot spring near Firehole Lake and sustained injuries, was recommended to seek medical care nearby but chose to drive to Salt Lake City, where he later died.[25]
July 5, 1929
Georges Landoy
Visiting from Belgium when he fell into a hot spring near Grand Geyser.[25]
June 28, 1970
Andrew Clark Hecht
Fell into Crested Pool spring and died.[26][27] The Andrew Clark Hecht Memorial Public Safety Achievement Award was created in his memory, and is annually given to the individual or group who contributes the most in public safety. The recipient also receives $1,000.[28][29]
July 20, 1981
David Allen Kirwan
Died after diving into Celestine Pool in an attempt to save a friend's dog, which had fallen into the waters, which have an average temperature of 183.4°F (84.1°C).[25][30] Kirwin (age 24) was severely burned and blinded, but survived until the next day when he died at a Salt Lake City hospital. After being removed from the pool, he was reported to have said: "That was stupid. How bad am I? That was a stupid thing I did."[31]
August 21, 2000
Sara Hulphers
Concessions employee who accidentally fell into a hot spring while walking in the park before dawn. Her friends who fell in with her survived with extensive burns.[32]
Died after slipping into a thermal pool while exploring a prohibited area of the park with his sister. Reports indicate that they intended to partake in "hot potting," the prohibited activity of bathing in Yellowstone's thermal pools.[33]
July 31, 2022
Il Hun Ro
70-year-old man died after entering Abyss Pool (West Thumb Geyser Basin); part of his foot in a shoe was found floating in August 2022.[34][35]
23-year-old from Valdosta, Georgia, was hiking alone on Electric Peak. Fell 300 ft. and was found dead at the bottom of a scree cliff.[44]
On or after September 17, 2024
Austin King
22-year-old who disappeared after a 7-day solo camping expedition around Eagle Peak. He reached the summit and left a note in the registry book dated September 17, 2024, detailing severe weather and numbness in his fingers. He is believed to be dead after no evidence of his remains or whereabouts was found after extensive searches, but his ultimate fate is uncertain.[45]
↑Whittlesey, Lee (1995). "Chronology". Death in Yellowstone: Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park. Roberts Rinehart Publishers. pp.199–200. ISBN978-1-57098-021-3.
↑Biel, Alice Wondrak (2006). Do (not) feed the bears: the fitful history of wildlife and tourists in Yellowstone. University of Kansas Press. p.42. ISBN978-0-7006-1432-5.
↑Smith, Jordan Fisher (2016). Engineering Eden: the true story of a violent death, a trial, and the fight over controlling nature (1sted.). New York: Crown. ISBN978-0-307-45426-3.
↑Gunther, Kerry (2022). "Bear-caused human fatalities in Yellowstone National Park: characteristics and trends". Human–Wildlife Interactions. 16 (3): 415–432.
12345Whittlesey, Lee (1995). Death in Yellowstone: Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park. Lanham, Massachusetts, United States of America: Robert Rinehart Publishers.
