Man Jailed For Getting Within Feet Of World’s Most Dangerous Geyser In Yellowstone

A 21-year-old man has received a week-long jail sentence, a hefty fine, and a two-year ban from Yellowstone National Park after trespassing near the notoriously explosive Steamboat Geyser.

The incident took place on April 19 this year; Viktor Pyshniuk, of Washington, was spotted and then photographed by an on-duty park employee crossing over the fence on the boardwalk near the geyser and walking up the hill within roughly 4.6 to 6.1 meters (15 to 20 feet) of it.

A law enforcement officer was subsequently dispatched, to whom Pyshniuk said he’d only left the boardwalk to take photos. The officer pointed out the multiple signs posted in the area that state that it’s illegal to leave the boardwalk. If someone were to miss the signs, you’d think the 1-meter (3-foot) fence surrounding the pathway would also be a fairly big hint.

That, and anyone who knows anything about Steamboat Geyser would also know it’s not a sensible idea to get that close to it. It’s illegal to leave the boardwalk in this area for a very good reason – the geyser is widely considered to be the most dangerous in the world.

Steamboat Geyser also happens to be the tallest active geyser on the planet, and its major eruptions – which are unpredictable – have been known to shoot hot water more than 91 meters (300 feet) in the air, followed by a steam phase that can last for days and be seen from afar. Its eruptions can even leave cars in the parking lot covered with debris.

Not only that, but as the officer explained to Pyshniuk, there’s also a possibility of there being a weak ground layer in the area. In other words, everything about the area should scream “straying from the path isn’t safe”.

“Trespassing in closed, thermal areas of Yellowstone National Park is dangerous and harms the natural resource,” said Acting United States Attorney Eric Heimann in a statement. “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.”

And that’s exactly what was handed to Pyshniuk by Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick on June 4. He was ordered to pay a $1,500 fine and $50 in fees, as well as being placed on two years of unsupervised release and a two-year ban from Yellowstone. 

On top of that, Pyshniuk was sentenced to seven days in jail. The judge explained that other people may have witnessed his actions and copied them, thinking it was fine to do the same thing; the sentence was given to act as a deterrent to both Pyshniuk and those people.

This incident is far from the first time that people have illegally strayed from the path at Yellowstone – even celebrities have been caught doing it.