Drone Snafu: Tourist Crashed UAV Into A Yellowstone Hot Spring

The rules regarding where you can and can't fly a drone aren't yet solidified, but there are some locations that everyone knows (or, at least should know) are off limits. Military bases and airports are two common sense locations, and perhaps slightly lesser known are national parks, where you aren't allowed to fly any drones.

A tourist crashed their drone into a hot spring this past Saturday, according to Yellowstone National Park investigators who are probing the incident. The news only came to light after the tourist revealed what had happened, asking one of the park workers about how to get the machine back.

The name of the tourist isn't known, and the park rangers are looking into whether the individual can be identified. When he or she had revealed what had happened, the employee hadn't immediately reported the crash, and the tourist was allowed to leave.

"I don't think the person who they spoke with realized that drones couldn't be flown in the park or the implications of what they were being told," said a Yellowstone spokesperson to CNN. The drone is said to have crashed in the Grand Prismatic Spring; a decision hasn't been made regarding whether an attempt to get the drone back will happen.

SOURCE: CNN