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Could have at least gave them a regular Coke…
I’ve been just completely fascinated with North Sentinel Island for a while now – probably because it’s some place I know I’ll never be able to go.
North Sentinel Island is a remote Indian island located in the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean that’s inhabited by the Sentinelese tribe – and off limits to anyone else.
The Sentinelese are an indigenous tribe to the island, and they’ve remained isolated from the outside world. In fact, no peaceful contact has been made with the tribe since the 1990s…although there have been attempts that haven’t gone well.
The tribe is known for fiercely defending their island, even shooting arrows at planes and helicopters that fly overhead. And whenever someone from the outside world tries to make contact with the Sentinelese, it usually doesn’t end well for the outsiders.
Back in 2006, two Indian fishermen were killed by the Sentinelese while fishing in prohibited waters when their boat apparently got a little too close to the island. And most recently, back in 2018, an American missionary was killed when he attempted to visit the island to spread Christianity to the tribe. Indian authorities attempted to recover his body, but ultimately turned back after a tense standoff with the tribe.
Of course there’s good reason for leaving the tribe undisturbed: At this point, it’s thought that 21st century disease could take out the entire population, and it’s long been illegal to even get within three miles of the island – which is as much for the safety of the attempted visitors as it is for the tribe’s safety.
But every few years it seems like someone lets their curiosity get the best of them and tries to make contact with the Sentinelese tribe. And this time, it was an American YouTuber who found himself in hot water (but luckily still alive) for visiting North Sentinel Island.
Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, a 24-year old from North Goldwater, Arizona, was arrested after allegedly sneaking onto North Sentinel Island and attempting to make contact with the tribe. Polyakov reportedly spent about five minutes on the island, recording a video and taking some sand before leaving a coconut and a Diet Coke as a peace offering.
The YouTuber had reportedly tried blowing a whistle offshore to attract the tribe’s attention, which seems like just about the dumbest thing you could do, but luckily he made it back to safety before being arrested.
According to the police chief of the nearby Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Polyakov is facing years in prison for the stunt:
“The American citizen was presented before the local court after his arrest and is now on a three-day remand for further interrogation.
If found guilty, he may face three to five years in prison for breaching the law that prohibits unauthorised entry into the areas inhabited by protected tribes of North Sentinel Island.”
The US State Department says they’re aware of the arrest and are monitoring the situation.
It’s not the first time he’s filmed his dangerous exploits for content: Polyakov runs a YouTube channel which features videos of the Ukrainian-American traveling through Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and even meeting with the terrorist organization’s members.
Honestly, Polyakov is lucky that the entire situation didn’t end way worse. He’s one of the few who have managed to visit North Sentinel Island in recent years and make it out alive, which is pretty amazing in and of itself. But it sounds like he’s going to be spending some time behind bars for the dangerous stunt.
The post American Tourist Arrested For Visiting Remote Island Tribe & Leaving A Can Of Diet Coke As A “Peace Offering” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.