YouTuber arrested for leaving Diet Coke with remote island tribe

An American YouTuber has reportedly been arrested after allegedly sneaking onto a remote island and leaving a can of Diet Coke and a coconut.

Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, a 24-year-old YouTuber known for his travel content, unlawfully entered the restricted area of North Sentinel Island, part of India’s Andaman Islands, in an attempt to interact with the isolated Sentinelese tribe, Indian police informed CBS. The island is believed to be home to around 150 people.

To safeguard the Sentinelese, an uncontacted indigenous group, and prevent exposure to outside diseases, access within three miles of the island is strictly prohibited, as stated by the outlet. This measure helps protect their traditional way of life.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands police chief HGS Dhaliwal told AFP that, "the American citizen was presented before the local court after his arrest and is now on a three-day remand for further interrogation".

It is reported that Polyakov spent around an hour blowing a whistle from the shore of North Sentinel Island in an effort to catch the tribe's attention.

The chief stated that he was on the island for approximately five minutes, during which he left a Diet Coke and a coconut, collected sand samples, and filmed a video before departing.

In a statement, the charity Survival International said: "It beggars belief that someone could be that reckless and idiotic. This person’s actions not only endangered his own life, they put the entire Sentinelese tribe at risk.

"It’s very well known by now that uncontacted peoples have no immunity to common outside diseases like flu or measles, which could completely wipe them out."

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