American Tourist Arrested For Sneaking Onto Forbidden Island With A Coconut And A Gopro

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An American tourist was arrested for allegedly visiting one of the most isolated indigenous islands in the Indian Ocean, according to indigenous rights organization Survival International.

Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, 24, illegally visited North Sentinel Island – part of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago and home to the uncontacted Sentinelese tribe – on March 29, Indian police officials told CNN. The Andaman and Nicobar Police’s Criminal Investigations Department did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment.

Indian law prohibits people from traveling within three miles of the island, including for fishing. According to Survival International, the Sentinelese wish to remain isolated from the outside world, and any contact could also wipe out the community if they were introduced to diseases. The Indian government has had mixed interactions with the island's residents, sometimes ending in hostility. Typically, the Coast Guard patrols the waters to ensure no one is getting too close.

Officials said Polyakov landed on the island and attempted to make contact by blowing a whistle, according to BBC. He filmed his five-minute-long visit with a GoPro camera and left a can of soda and a coconut onshore as offerings while also collecting some sand. A local fisherman saw Polyakov on his return trip to a nearby island. Police later seized his inflatable boat and motor, which he had used to travel to the island, and his phone and camera.

The police told CNN they are currently investigating the incident and that Polyakov had been planning this trip for some time now, adding that "he said he is keen on adventure."

The U.S. State Department told USA TODAY that it is "aware of reports of the detention of a U.S. citizen in India" but has no further comment due to privacy considerations.

"The Department has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens abroad," the agency said in a statement.

Some advocates believe social media is contributing to more people wanting to visit remote destinations – even if they're not allowed to.

“It beggars belief that someone could be that reckless and idiotic," said Survival International Director Caroline Pearce in a statement. "This person’s actions not only endangered his own life, they put the lives of the entire Sentinelese tribe at risk. It’s very well known by now that uncontacted peoples have no immunity to common outside diseases like flu or measles, which could completely wipe them out."

This isn't the first time an American has attempted to contact the island. In 2018, an American Christian missionary John Allen Chau was killed at North Sentinel Island when he paid fishermen to take him close to the island and paddled a kayak the rest of the way. He brought a Bible and gifts, such as a soccer ball. He met with some of the tribesmen but was later shot by arrows and buried on the beach. It's unclear what led to his death, but seven people, including the fishermen and a local tour guide, were arrested for assisting Chau's trip.