An American tourist is in hot water after risking his life to visit a very dangerous and very isolated tribe. All so he could leave a can of soda and a coconut behind for them.
The American tourist made the trip to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to pull off his viral plans. Ultimately, the tribe ended up ignoring him, but things could have ended much much worse. In 2018, American missionary John Allen Chau died while attempting to visit with the isolate tribe. This time, 24-year-old Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov just ended up in jail.
Authorities arrested the American tourist. They've accused him of taking a single-seat boat to the North Sentinel Island in the Indian Ocean. He was allegedly trying to reach the isolated Sentinelese tribe. Fortunately, according to the Press Trust of India, he didn't end up with the same fate as the American missionary.
American Tourist Arrested
He showed up carrying a can of soda and a coconut as offerings.
"We are getting more details about him and his intention to visit the reserved tribal area," he told the local outlet. "We are also trying to find out where else he has visited during his stay in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands."
The American tourist broke the law to visit the tribe. All outsiders are banned from trying to contact the isolated tribe. Once on the island, he struggled to find the tribe. He tried to use binoculars to find them and also whistled but never actually came across the tribe.
It appears that Polyakov may be a repeat offender. Authorities alleged that the American tourist visited and illegally filmed the remote Jarawa tribe while visiting the Baratang Islands. He also allegedly tried to reach North Sentinel Island last October. At the time, he had tried to use an inflatable raft to reach the island.
But this attempt was foiled when hotel staff stopped him from launching the kayak. Things aren't looking great for the American. But they could have been worse. These tribes have notoriously attacked outsiders and proved to be hostile. He could have lost his life instead.
