Three people got stuck on a cliff at Yellowstone National Park after climbing over a safety barrier to get a better shot of the park's Upper Falls.
The incident, which you can watch below, was captured on camera by Lydia Toelle, and shared on Instagram account TouronsOfYellowstone, which specializes in highlighting bad behavior at US National Parks. Past examples have included visitors dipping their hands in hot springs, and taunting elk (with predictable results).
"I was at the Upper Falls Middle Brink and three people decided to climb over the stone wall and onto the side of the mountain for better pictures," explained an exasperated Toelle.
Yellowstone Falls, where the Yellowstone River plunges into the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, is split into two sections. The Upper Falls, where this video was shot, are 109ft high, while the more spectacular Lower Falls are an enormous 310ft high.
There are plenty of viewing points offering photographers an excellent vantage point for shooting the Falls. The Brink Trail is steep, but many other lookouts are easily accessible and only a short walk from a parking lot. Lookout, Inspiration Point, Grand View, and Artist Point are all popular viewing spots.
Safety on the cliffs
Toelle sent her video to local authorities, who may be able to identify the visitors climbing on the cliff. Climbing over safety barriers doesn't just put you at risk, it also endangers the rescue teams who'll have to come to your rescue if you fall or get cliffed out.
"My son is a Park Ranger," commenter Susan Fraser Anderson wrote on Toelle's post. "He has worked at Yellowstone, and now at a different park, but when he was at Rocky Mountain [National Park] I can think of at least two times he had to go and hike to Bridal Veil falls and rescue a tourist who had fallen down the falls while trying to take a selfie.
"The person had to be carried down the trail to where they could be airlifted out. That is dangerous for everyone that has to put themselves in harm's way to save your butt when you do something stupid."
