US Man Jailed Over Yellowstone Geyser Trespass.

A 21-year-old man from Lynwood, WA, Viktor Pyshniuk, was sentenced to 7 days in jail for trespassing in a prohibited area of Yellowstone National Park while attempting to take photographs. Pyshniuk was also placed on 2 years of unsupervised release, fined $1,500, banned from the park for 2 years, and must pay court fees.

"Trespassing in closed, thermal areas of Yellowstone National Park is dangerous and harms the natural resource. In cases like this one where we have strong evidence showing a person has willfully disregarded signs and entered a closed, thermal area, federal prosecutors will seek significant penalties, including jail time." — Acting United States Attorney Eric Heimann

Pyshniuk was observed and photographed by a park employee as he crossed over a fence and walked up a hillside within 15-20 feet of Steamboat Geyser, the world's tallest active geyser. When approached by a park law enforcement officer, Pyshniuk admitted he was trying to take photographs. He was shown signs stating that it was illegal to stray from the public boardwalk due to the dangers of mud pots and unpredictable heated steam and water.

Magistrate Judge Stephanie Hambrick emphasized the sentence was intended to deter Pyshniuk and others from disregarding park safety rules, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the geothermal area.

Yellowstone's Steamboat Geyser:

• World's tallest active geyser, erupting to heights of over 300 feet.
• One of Yellowstone's most prominent features with unpredictable eruptions.
• More than 20 people have died in accidents involving the park's 10,000 geysers, hot springs, steam vents, and geothermal pools.
• Recent fatalities: a 70-year-old man in 2022 and a 23-year-old man in 2016, both from out of state.