Yellowstone National Park isn’t afraid to lay down the law… maybe some other cities in America could take notes?
The stunning property that stretches across Wyoming, Montana and Idaho (mostly Wyoming though) brings millions of people in every single year. Whether it be the park’s natural beauty, or the wildlife that calls Yellowstone home, it’s truly become a bucket list destination for those that love the outdoors.
One of the reasons why tourists flock to the national park is to see the property’s geysers and hot springs. To give you some background information, the 174-degree thermal pools and springs that are scattered throughout Yellowstone are nothing to be messed with.
Over 20 people have died after they entered or accidentally fell into the hot springs at Yellowstone National Park. There are signs everywhere that warn visitors not to get off the boardwalks or approach the hot springs, and most of the time, the tourists are smart enough to head those warnings.
The thermal areas typically located near or around the park’s geysers are very sensitive. The bacterial mats around the Grand Prismatic and elsewhere throughout the park house fragile living organisms. Called thermophiles, the delicate organisms are only able to survive in the heat of the thermal basin, and are incredibly fragile when it comes to unnatural disturbances.
And if you are to wander off the boardwalk and enter those areas, you can face jail time… as one Texas man recently found out.
Eric Bedient, a 50-year-old from the Lone Star State (Frisco to be exact), recently plead guilty to walking off a designated boardwalk and into a thermal area at Yellowstone National Park. Law enforcement officers of Yellowstone investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney, Ariel Calmes, prosecuted the Texas Man. Bedient was sentenced to five days in jail on March 31.
Court documents say that the Texas man got off the boardwalk and walked on several ,dangerous hydrothermal springs in the Mammoth Hot Springs area. According to court documents, Bedient left the boardwalk and walked directly on several fragile and dangerous hydrothermal features in the Mammoth Hot Springs area.
U.S. Attorney Darin Smith had this to say about the incident:
“Yellowstone’s thermal areas are among the most dangerous natural features in the world. Mr. Bedient’s disregard for the law could have cost him his life. Prosecuting crimes like this deters others from similar conduct — and from risking becoming thermal soup. We will continue to hold individuals accountable to protect lives and preserve this unique, irreplaceable landscape when their actions threaten these national treasures for future generations.”
“Prosecuting crimes deters others from similar conduct”… hmmm, once again… maybe other cities around America could enact this kind of policy?
Let this be a lesson to all those potential tourons (tourists that are morons) that are planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park this summer. The U.S. Attorney’s Office recommends that visitors stay safe, use common sense, and follow the guidelines that the national park has in place when it comes to hot springs, which are:
-Stay on boardwalks
-Don’t touch thermal features or runoff
-Swimming or soaking in hot springs is prohibited
-Pets are prohibited in thermal areas
And I suppose you can add “if you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime” onto that list as well after one Yellowstone visitor had to spend five days incarcerated.
