American Detained After Risking Lives Of Isolated Tribe With Dangerous Visit To Remote Island

A man from the United States has been arrested after trying to make contact with a remote and isolated tribe on a small island in India.

On Wednesday (April 2), police confirmed that 24-year-old Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov had been detained for attempting to enter a protected tribal reserve, according to The Independent.

Authorities reported that Polyakov arrived in Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, on March 27. From there, he set out to reach North Sentinel Island in the Bay of Bengal and managed to travel by boat before being arrested on Sunday (March 30).

North Sentinel Island is the home of the Sentinelese people, known as one of the world's most isolated tribes.

Since 1956, the Indian government has banned travel to North Sentinel Island, officially designating it a tribal reserve to protect the inhabitants.

The Sentinelese have repeatedly shown they want no contact with outsiders. Still, that has not stopped people from trying, including American missionary John Allen Chau, who was killed in 2018 when he attempted to convert the tribe to Christianity.

Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov tried to visit a tribe Getty Images / Maxar / Contributor

As reported by The Times, Polyakov told police after his arrest that he left Khurmadera Beach, about 19 miles away from Port Blair, around 1am on March 29. He reached the northeastern shore of North Sentinel Island at about 10am.

Using binoculars from his boat, he scanned the beach in hopes of spotting someone from the tribe.

When no one appeared, he decided to wade ashore. He placed cans of Diet Coke and coconuts on the sand as gifts and waited, hoping someone would come out to greet him.

After waiting without success, Polyakov shot a video, got back onto his boat, and spent another hour blowing a whistle to try to get the tribe’s attention before finally heading back to Khurmadera.

Local fishermen saw him and reported the incident to the police. He was soon apprehended and charged with entering a restricted area.

The Independent noted that this was actually Polyakov’s third attempt to reach the island. Police told Press Trust of India: "We are getting more details about him and his intention to visit the reserved tribal area. We are also trying to find out where else he has visited during his stay in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands."

The Sentinelese tribe have been largely uncontacted Survival International

Besides their clear desire to stay isolated, the Sentinelese are at serious risk because they have no immunity to modern diseases. Even minor infections could be devastating if introduced by an outsider.

Caroline Pearce, director of the charity Survival International, which works to protect vulnerable tribes, called Polyakov’s actions 'deeply disturbing'.

She said in a statement shared by The Times: "It beggars belief that someone could be that reckless and idiotic. This person's actions not only endangered his own life, they put the lives of the entire Sentinelese tribe at risk."