A TikTok star hit a golf ball into Grand Canyon. Here’s how much that stunt cost her
“Do we actually have to say, ‘don’t hit golf balls into the Grand Canyon?’”
That’s what Grand Canyon Nationwide Park posted on social media in the future after a social media influencer posted a video of herself {golfing} on the sting of the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, east of Mather Level.
Within the video, which appeared on 20-year-old Katie Sigmond’s accounts on Oct. 26, Sigmond hit a golf ball and subsequently misplaced most of her membership when the driving force’s shaft flew into the canyon after the ball.
Social media customers had been fast to share Sigmond’s stunt on platforms such because the r/NationalPark subreddit, the place a display screen recording of Sigmond’s Snapchat Story garnered greater than 900 feedback. Commenters condemned Sigmond for littering in addition to endangering individuals and wildlife under her. The influencer — who has a mixed 10 million followers throughout TikTok and Instagram — was going viral for the mistaken causes and he or she appeared to delete the posts.
After receiving suggestions concerning the incident, Grand Canyon regulation enforcement recognized and contacted Sigmond inside a day of her posting {the golfing} video. The Nationwide Park Service meant to cost her with three misdemeanor offenses.
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Here is how a lot the TikTok star who hit a golf ball into Grand Canyon pays
Sigmond obtained three federal violation notices — that are tickets issued by regulation enforcement departments for U.S. businesses such because the Nationwide Park Service and U.S. Forest Service — and was charged with three Class B misdemeanors as detailed beneath Title 36 within the Code of Federal Rules.
The three costs had been for tossing objects into the Grand Canyon, littering and creating hazardous situations with disorderly conduct. She was solely cited for disorderly conduct and tossing or throwing objects into the canyon, which carry a most tremendous of $5,000 and 6 months in jail, in keeping with a duplicate of the written document of the collateral forfeiture settlement that the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the District of Arizona offered to The Arizona Republic.
Sigmond was ordered to pay a $285 tremendous, which incorporates $60 in processing charges. A spokesman for the Administrative Workplace of the U.S. Courts confirmed to The Republic that the Central Violations Bureau obtained two funds of $155 and $130 from Katie Sigmond on Nov. 15.
Although Sigmond initially confronted an look on the U.S. District Courtroom in Flagstaff, her case was resolved via a collateral forfeiture settlement with the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace in Arizona. In different phrases, she paid fines for the misdemeanor costs to the Texas-based Central Violations Bureau, which processes tickets and funds for “petty offenses dedicated on federal property,” in keeping with its web site.
This successfully closed Sigmond’s case with no convictions on her document. She didn’t reply to an emailed request for remark.
Details about the fines for numerous federal violations, corresponding to spitting on U.S Division of Veterans Affairs property and possessing bald or golden eagles and not using a allow, will be discovered on the U.S. District Courtroom for the District of Arizona’s web site at https://www.azd.uscourts.gov/19-14.
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Individuals hold throwing objects into the Grand Canyon
Sigmond, who is predicated in Southern California, is understood for posting movies of herself understanding, touring, dancing and {golfing}, in addition to performing public stunts and pranks. However she’s removed from the one individual to pitch one thing into the Grand Canyon.
In October 2021, a customer was pictured hitting baseballs from the Yavapai Geology Museum on the South Rim. After the Nationwide Park Service solicited tricks to establish the individual, he contacted NPS regulation enforcement to establish himself, in keeping with Joëlle Baird, a spokesperson with the Grand Canyon Nationwide Park’s Public Affairs Workplace.
It’s not clear whether or not the person was cited for his actions.
Baird advised The Republic that the NPS is conscious that these sorts of stunts are occurring on the Grand Canyon and has obtained related movies to Sigmond’s.
“It’s unlucky that it occurs,” she stated.
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The NPS needs the general public to know that launching objects over the rim of Grand Canyon shouldn’t be solely unlawful — it is harmful as the thing might hit a hiker or animal when it falls and even begin a landslide by dislodging rocks.
Damaging the panorama is against the law on federal land and is disrespectful as a result of the Grand Canyon is the ancestral homeland of Native populations, together with the Hualapai and Havasupai tribes. Right this moment, the nationwide park acknowledges 11 tribes which can be historically related to the Grand Canyon.
Individuals who wish to ship suggestions relating to public security or assist investigations can contact the Investigative Companies Department by calling or texting the ISB’s tip line at 888-653-0009, submitting a web-based kind at https://www.nps.gov/ISB or emailing nps_isb@nps.gov.
Attain the reporter at kimi.robinson@gannett.com. Comply with her on Twitter @kimirobin and Instagram @ReporterKiMi.
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This text initially appeared on Arizona Republic: TikTok star fined for hitting golf ball into Grand Canyon
