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Another tourist was spotted off the boardwalk in a thermal area—this time in Mammoth Hot Springs. And they were fined heavily for it.
Indeed, the guilty party was fined $1,000, along with a $30 court-processing fee, for walking off the boardwalk in a thermal area.
According to a Yellowstone news release, yesterday, a visitor (identified in the release as a male Chinese national) was witnessed walking on the terraces near Liberty Cap, collecting thermal water. Said visitor also broke through some of the travertine crust while walking around.
An eyewitness reported the crime to a nearby ranger; they also provided photos of the incident. Shortly afterward, the visitor was apprehended by Park law enforcement. The visitor admitted he had ignored safety information provided to him when he entered the Park—and also admitted to collecting thermal water.
Subsequently, the visitor was issued a federal violation notice mandating his appearance at the Yellowstone Justice Center Court in Mammoth.
Park rangers have issued a general thank you to the eyewitness, and encourage anyone to report off-the-boardwalk activity in the future.
The incident comes just shortly after a 23-year-old man died after venturing 225 yards off the boardwalk at Norris Geyser Basin. He died shortly after falling in a hot spring. Another group of tourists were seen walking off the boardwalk at Midway Geyser Basin, although no injuries were reported. They were taken into custody by a ranger.
Then, of course, there’s the incident that occurred in mid-May, when a group of Canadians stepped off the boardwalk to take photos and video footage of Grand Prismatic Spring. They recently resurfaced after fleeing misdemeanor charges, after hiring a lawyer and agreeing to a conference call with Yellowstone’s magistrate.
