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Yellowstone: Man burned in thermal area, faces charges for off-trail travel – Daily Montanan [1]

['Daily Montanan Staff', 'More From Author', '- August']

Date: 2023-08 

Jason Wicks, of Hillman, Michigan, has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges for off-trail travel in a Yellowstone National Park thermal area and for being under the influence of alcohol or drugs to the degree he was a danger to himself or others, the park said Thursday in a news release.

Wicks, 49, was arraigned in federal court on Wednesday. The park said he sustained burns from the thermal area.

As part of the conditions for release, Hillman is banned from Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks until these criminal charges are resolved, the park said.

This incident remains under investigation, and trial date has not been set.

“The violation notice merely contains allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty,” the park said.

Yellowstone National Park officials said the ground in hydrothermal areas is fragile and thin, and there is scalding water just below the surface. They said everyone must remain on boardwalks and trails and exercise extreme caution around Yellowstone’s thermal features.

Learn more about safety in thermal areas here: https://www.nps.gov/ yell/planyourvisit/safety.htm.

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