Inside Yellowstone National Park’s most terrifying unsolved mysteries and gruesome deaths after woman killed by a bison
A WOMAN was brutally killed by a bison on Monday at Yellowstone National Park which has no shortage of terrifying unsolved mysteries and gruesome deaths.
Park Rangers said the 25-year-old woman "threatened" the animal by getting too close, prompting it to attack.
As the walked near a boardwalk, the woman got closer and the bison attacked her, tossing her 10 feet in the air, officials said.
The 25-year-old suffered a puncture wound and other injuries.
She was transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, where she died of her injuries.
Park Rangers have warned folks visiting Yellowstone National Park about the dangers of approaching wild animals.
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"Wildlife in Yellowstone National Park are wild and can be dangerous when approached. When an animal is near a campsite, trail, boardwalk, parking lot, or in a developed area, give it space," Rangers said.
This incident comes after a long history of chilling events inside the famous national park.
MIKE PETERSEN'S MYSTERIOUS DEATH
Mike Petersen decided to go solo-hiking in the park on June 4, 2017.
His wife Bonny dropped him off at the trailhead that morning, and he called her throughout the day whenever he picked up cell service.
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On that day, he was wearing a bright orange vest and waders and was carrying a gun, reported.
Mike had spent a fair amount of time in the West Yellowstone area in the past four months.
Bonny planned to pick him up at the trailhead around 6pm that night, but he never showed.
She waited and searched around the trailhead until 7.20pm when she heard four gunshots in the woods which she thought was a signal from her husband.
However, he never surfaced from the wilderness.
Bonny drove to find cell service and call for help from officials. A search party was organized and launched by around 10pm the night of his disappearance.
That night, authorities found Mike's vest and backpack along with nearly all of his equipment around the river, but they could not find the missing man.
Mike's remains were found three days later, and it was determined that he drowned, most likely while he attempted to cross Beaver Creek.
Apparently, the water levels were raised due to the spring snowmelt.
While drowning is the in Yellowstone, Petersen's story remains mysterious as he was seemingly familiar with the area and fully equipped for a solo day hike.
UNSOLVED 'MURDER'
On January 16, 2000, a 34-year-old single mother was out with friends in Yellowstone County.
Jeannette "Charlie" Atwater disappeared by the time bars closed for the night, and no one remembered seeing her leave.
Less than two hours after Charlie was last seen, her car was spotted on fire across the street from the bar, reported.
Firefighters managed to put out the flames and discovered her body in the trunk of the car.
The person responsible for the fire has yet to be discovered.
GEYSER DEATHS
Yellowstone's geysers and geothermal water attract many visitors to the national park.
However, the natural phenomena can be fatal as more than 20 people have been killed by some of the park's dangerously scalding waters.
Yellowstone shared some cautionary tales on its , explaining the importance of following rules while visiting the park.
Colin Nathaniel Scott, 23, slipped and fell to his death in a hot spring on June 7, 2016, Park Rangers reported.
He and his sister illegally left the boardwalk and walked 200 yards into the Norris Geyser Basin when the incident took place.
Scott fell into scalding Yellowstone waters as hot as 250 degrees Fahrenheit, and rangers sadly could not recover his body.
In 1970, a nine-year-old boy from New York tripped on the boardwalk in the Old Faithful area, park historical archivist Lee H Whittlesey documented.
The boy fell into scalding waters and swam a couple of strokes before tragically sinking in front of his family.
Another 24-year-old man died of third-degree burns in 1981 after diving into Celestine Pool after a friend's dog.
As there are around 4 million visitors to the park each year, it is important to note that this statistic is fairly minor.
However, the fearsome Yellowstone landscape and wildlife are harrowing nonetheless.
GRIZZLY BEAR ATTACKS
Since Yellowstone was established, eight people have been killed by bears in the park.
The event is highly unlikely, especially compared to leading figures like drownings and suicides, but several harrowing experiences with bears have been documented nonetheless.
The most recent event occurred in August 2015.
A day hiker was by himself in the park when he encountered a female grizzly bear with two cubs.
The mother killed the hiker near the Elephant Back Loops Trail in the Lake Village, documented.
In 2011, a lone day hiker was killed by a grizzly bear on the Mary Mountain Trail in Hayden Valley.
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One month prior to this incident, another hiker was killed by a female bear with two cubs.
Rangers remind park visitors that the risk for bear encounters is significantly lower for people who do not leave developed areas or roadsides.
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