Authorities say the person responsible for damaging a 113-year-old salt tram tower in Death Valley National Park turned him- or herself in last week. However, they also declined to release the person's name because of how people responded to the incident online.
"We are not releasing the person's name because of the level of anger about this on social media," said Abigail Wines, a spokeswoman with Death Valley National Park, in an email. Wines also declined to say if the person would be charged and what the charge would be.
In a press release, the National Park Service explained that the person responsible for the damage on April 19 called a tip line established to collect information on the incident. The person told authorities that the damage "was done during a time of desperation while being deeply stuck in mud, and that it wasn't their intent to cause harm to the historic structure."
What made the salt tram tower so special, according to officials, was that it was built in 1911 by the Saline Valley Salt Company to transport salt some 13 miles and climb over 7,000 vertical feet with grades of up to 40 degrees. Because of its historical significance and engineering feat, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Park Service shared images of the damage on social media and the post garnered hundreds of comments. Many discussed the degree to which the culprit should be punished. Some argued that they should be banned from national parks, lose their driver's license, and/or pay restitution. While some defended the decision to use the tram tower as an anchor, others argued that the person had other options such as calling the Park Service for help.
The closest thing to identifying the person responsible is a dash cam video discovered by Outside. In the video, a woman asks someone inside a vehicle for help, saying they need a winch to pull a truck out of the mud. However, as the video is being filmed, the tram tower is already knocked over, so it's possible that it was damaged earlier or by someone else. The video was reportedly taken down on May 15.
In response to the decision to withhold the person's name, people on Instagram debated whether or not it was the right decision. Some applauded the individual for "owning it" or dismissed the damage, calling the structure "just debris leftover from a company that didn't have to clean up its mess," but others were not so forgiving. Pete Kostelnick, a competitive ultramarathon runner, summarized the counter-argument, writing: "Such a bullshit reasoning and withholding of public information, hold them fully accountable. Otherwise, others will do the same."
While it's unclear what will happen next, Wines said that if the person is charged, the penalty would be six months in jail and/or a $5,000 fine. The person would also have to pay for damages to park resources.
