A Michigan man was arraigned in federal court Wednesday and is facing criminal charges for allegedly getting intoxicated and falling into an off-trail area near hot springs in Yellowstone National Park.
Jason D. Wicks, 49, pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming. However, he has been banned from Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks until the criminal charges are resolved.
Per the U.S. attorney’s office, Wicks was allegedly “under the influence of alcohol or drugs to the degree he was a danger to himself or others.”
According to Yellowstone Forever, a fundraising organization that works with the park, water from the park’s hot springs can cause severe or fatal burns. More than 20 deaths related to burns from hot springs at the park have been reported.
Last summer, a human foot was discovered in the park’s Abyss Pool, a well-known thermal feature located in the West Thumb Geyser Basin. Later it was identified as remains from a 70-year-old man from Los Angeles, Calif. As of last November, the circumstances of his death were unknown.
Another hot spring related fatality occurred in 2016, when an Oregon man in his early 20’s walked off the designated boardwalk. He then slipped and fell into a hot spring at the Norris Geyser Basin.
Apart from visible water at the springs, “scalding water underlies most of the thin, breakable crust,” around them, per Yellowstone Forever.
Wicks suffered thermal burns due to his tumble, said a press release. D.A.’s office spokesperson Lori Hogan told CNN that he suffered a non-life-threatening injury to his foot Tuesday.
While Yellowstone Forever notes that “it’s up to visitors to know how to stay safe around geothermal features,” the park also offers safety information on its website.
“Stay on boardwalks and trails in thermal areas,” it reads. “Hot springs have injured or killed more people in Yellowstone than any other natural feature. Keep your children close and don’t let them run.”
According to the D.A.’s office, the incident remains under investigation and a trial date has not been set.
“The violation notice merely contains allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty,” it added.
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