I have read the Death in…series for several Natl Parks. Most the deaths can be prevented by the don’t be stupid rule…disobeying the rules and/or being young, male & with alcohol probably can account for 98% of the deaths…
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I suspect they don’t want to put up more signs and barriers, either - and that part of the reason they’re pushing this story is to publicize the real danger involved in ignoring the signs, etc., that are there.
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Here’s a famous and illustrative 10 sec. capture of exactly what can happen when warnings are ignored and you have to get just a little closer to Yellowstone’s animals and you want to treat the park like a petting zoo:
Oh…and the man, who wanted to see the bison up close, did survive reportedly with severely bruised ribs and a gash in his side.
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The traffic still slows down – traffic jams are your best signal that wildlife is nearby. MOST people don’t try to get close and obviously admire and respect the wild things in their midst, which is good. The Park not only tells you to stay away from wildlife, it actually gives guidance on how far away that should be, depending on the species. It is very far away for bears, and somewhat less far away for bison and elk. We pulled over (along with scads of others) because of the relative rare sighting on one large field of an entire family of bears (in one corner) and a little grouping of bison (in another corner). A lot of people just want to see through their binoculars. I would hate to see the vast majority of people who are careful being punished because of the relatively few very careless and stupid.
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The idiot stuff I’ve seen adults do over the years on Halfdome, at Colorado National Monument, and at Natural Bridges NM make me wonder how humanity has gotten as far as it has. This knucklehead who turned himself into stew at Yellowstone has to be a 2016 Darwin Award finalist.
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Oh well, I didn’t actually look up the statistics before shooting off my mouth 
But the year I saw the mobs practically taunting the grizzlys, there was a death reported and it reinforced the real danger. I think that was around the time Grizzly Man was released.
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“Gruesome Hot Spring Death Highlights Problems At Yellowstone”
Yes, the people!
A grown man breaks the rules, climbs off the boardwalk. In this case consequences of your actions are dire.
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Yes, it’s undoubtedly a tough choice for those who manage the park. We always pulled over too, but kept our distance.
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There’s only one solution that will work here - Build a Wall™
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Indeed. For all practical purposes, no point continuing to search for the body. But Youtube is full of videos of vats of boiling concentrated STRONG acids and the fun things one can do with chicken legs. I just think it’s a bit of a stretch to say there were “no remains left” of the body in this case. Minor point. Still, I’m not sure which would be worse for the family, no remains to inter, or horrific remains to identify and then inter. I’ll be researching Yellowstone boiling acid springs this morning, I guess.
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Enjoy Yellowstone! It is indeed one of the most splendid, fascinating and beautiful spots on the planet. And keep it all in perspective and relax…but stay alert and aware: 
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Oh, there’s a problem alright. It’s the tourism equivalent of the IT term ‘PEBKAC’ - Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair.
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Fortunately, the NPS and Yellowstone NP in particular, have been wonderfully deaf to most of the calls for safety-fying and de-wilding the park.
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Thanks.
Like I need the additional motivation.
After having sworn off beer this past week and dropping several pounds. 
jw1
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Well, you know, they couldn’t see those signs, because…
Scott and his sister had traveled about 225 yards off the boardwalk
… they were two football fields away. It’s tragic, but… holy crap, people.
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The problem of self entitled jerks. “Rules? Who needs rules?” “Here, hold my beer and watch this.” “Get a good video and post on Instagram!” “Here, let’s take a piece of this rock home for ourselves” Don’t close the boardwalks. Let the jerks suffer the consequences of their stupidity and disrespect.
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Or not watching their own kids.
During one visit to the Grand Canyon, I overheard a park ranger scold adult tourists for letting their little kids run amuck so close to the edge. They looked so insulted. I thought good, better than seeing your 4 year old taking a 400 foot header over the edge…I don’t want to be there that day.
MEH people.
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I saw somewhere that a bison can go from 0-35mph in a flash. We can get up to 20mph in a sprint. No contest.
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Well, I do see one problem. Human stupidity–particularly the very special brand of stupidity that occurs when the stupid among urban and suburban-dwellers interface with extreme versions of Nature*–is immutable. But if the Galtian sock puppets in Congress hadn’t been systematically starving the national park system for funds to keep hedge fund manager taxes low for years now, there might just be a more visible ranger footprint available to keep the idiots from damaging the features and getting themselves killed.
*The stupidity of stupid rural dwellers when they interface with extreme versions of Nature is also immutable, but likely to be more intentional in the damage to the scenery, flora and fauna, and less likely to be fatal to the idiot.
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There are boardwalks, with rails, to indicate where they may walk and stand and signs that say “don’t leave the boardwalks because it’s against the law, you’ll mess up the park and likely die.”
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