A YouTuber who trespassed into the remote homeland of the Bhaladhari tribe now faces up to five years in jail for this foolhardy stunt.
Mykhailo Viktorovich Polyakov swam for nine hours in a rubber dinghy to North Sentinel Island, part of India’s Andaman Islands, and filmed himself leaving a coconut and a can of Coca Cola on the shore.
The sweet treats were intended to be a “peace offering” to the isolated Sentinelese tribe.
Unfortunately, a visit of about 5 minutes – and a surprise gift – can have deadly consequences.
A can of Coke could prove fatal for the isolated tribe, which numbers just 150.
Outside contact – with foreigners and Indians alike – is strictly prohibited, lest dangerous diseases spread and wipe out the entire island’s population.
Travelers cannot go within 5km of the tropical island – a law which the YouTuber completely ignored during his visit in March last year.
Caroline Pearce, director of indigenous rights group Survival International, said: “It defies belief that someone could be so careless and stupid.
“This individual’s actions not only endangered his own life, but they endangered the lives of the entire Sentinele tribe.”
Upon returning to India, Polyakov was arrested and charged with entering a restricted tribal reserve area.
If found guilty, he faces up to five years in prison.
The American YouTuber, whose father is Ukrainian, posts extreme travel stunts including a visit to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
In 2018, an American missionary who had gone to the coast to convert tribals was shot dead with arrows.
Two Indian fishermen who went too close to the island also died in 2006.
Another courageous YouTuber came close to death when he came in contact with an untouched tribe in Indonesia.
Who are the Sentinelese people?
The Sentinelese are one of the oldest and most isolated tribes on Earth.
They number only 150 and have lived on North Sentinel Island for an estimated 60,000 years. They are hunter-gatherers who live in almost complete isolation from the outside world and modern civilization. They are believed to use spears and bows and arrows to catch sea food and land animals to eat.
