American YouTuber Arrested After Sneaking Onto Remote Island And Leaving Diet Coke For Uncontacted Tribe

24-year-old YouTuber Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov was arrested after making contact with one of the world's last uncontacted tribes, making the perilous and ill-advised journey to North Sentinel Island and leaving a coconut and a can of Diet Coke on the beach as a gift to the Sentinelese.

Polyakov, 24, arrived at the northeastern shore of North Sentinel Island at 10 a.m. on March 29, according to police reports. He used binoculars to survey the land but saw no one. He then climbed ashore, leaving behind a Diet Coke and a coconut, took sand samples, and recorded a video, the authorities said.

Polyakov was arrested on March 31 upon returning to Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, an archipelago located over 800 miles east of India's mainland, according to authorities.

North Sentinel Island, a territory of India, is off-limits to outsiders. Indian regulations prohibit any interaction with its isolated tribe, whose members, known for their use of bows and arrows, have killed intruders who set foot on their shores.

But Polyakov was undeterred. He had “meticulously” planned his journey, studying sea conditions, tides, and accessibility from Khurmadera Beach on Andaman Island, the police stated.

Even after leaving North Sentinel, Polyakov attempted to get the attention of the Sentinelese people by blowing a whistle from his boat, the authorities said.

He faces accusations of attempting to “interact with the Sentinelese tribe,” as stated by police in Andaman. Polyakov is charged with violating laws protecting aboriginal tribes and is set to appear in court on April 17. The charges carry a possible sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine.

During questioning, Polyakov reportedly told authorities that his visit was motivated by a “passion for adventure and his desire to undertake extreme challenges.” Officials also noted that his GoPro footage indicated he had entered the island and that he had used GPS navigation during his voyage.

The police further revealed that Polyakov had attempted previous visits to the remote region. In October, hotel staff halted his attempt to reach North Sentinel Island using an inflatable kayak, the police said. In January, he reached Baratang Island within the archipelago and “illegally videographed” the Jarawa tribe, the police added.

Many have condemned Polyakov's actions and criticized his sense of entitlement.

Regulations prohibit any outsider interaction with the isolated Sentinelese tribe, whose members, armed with bows and arrows, have killed intruders who venture onto their shores.

In 2006, two fishermen accidentally drifted ashore and were killed by the Sentinelese. Witnesses who saw the attack from the water described how the fishermen, believed to be intoxicated from palm wine, were killed by near-naked, axe-wielding tribal warriors when their boat became stranded.

An Indian coastguard helicopter sent to investigate the incident was met with a barrage of arrows from the same tribal warriors, making it clear that landing would not be safe. The fishermen's bodies, hacked by machetes, were found in shallow graves when the helicopter's rotor blades blew away the sand covering them.

In 2018, American missionary John Allen Chau attempted to reach North Sentinel with a Bible in hand. He was shot with arrows by tribesmen when he stepped ashore, according to Indian authorities. Fishermen who had helped Chau reach the island reported seeing tribesmen dragging his body across the beach.

Chau may have been attempting to convert the islanders to Christianity. Before leaving in his kayak, he gave the fishermen a note in case he didn’t return. The note, according to police officials, contained a message in which Chau wrote that he felt Jesus had given him the strength to visit “the most forbidden places on Earth.”