“Do we really have to say, ‘Don’t hit golf balls into the Grand Canyon?'”
That’s what Grand Canyon National Park posted to social media one day after a social media influencer posted a video of herself playing golf on the rim of the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, east of Mather Point.
In the video, which surfaced on 20-year-old Katie Sigmond’s accounts on Oct. 26, Sigmond hit a golf ball and then lost most of her club as the driver’s shaft flew into the canyon behind the ball.
Social media users were quick to share Sigmond’s stunt on platforms such as the r/NationalPark subreddit, where a screenshot of Sigmond’s Snapchat story garnered more than 900 comments. Commentators condemned Sigmond for littering and endangering people and wildlife below her. The influencer – who has a combined 10 million followers on TikTok and Instagram – went viral for all the wrong reasons and she appeared to be deleting the posts.
After receiving tips about the incident, Grand Canyon Police identified Sigmond within a day of posting the golf video and charged her with three felonies.
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Sigmond received three federal violation notices, which are tickets issued by law enforcement departments for U.S. agencies such as the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service. Sigmond was charged with three Class B misdemeanor offenses, as outlined in Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
The three charges were for throwing objects into the Grand Canyon, littering and creating dangerous conditions with disorderly conduct. She was only subpoenaed for disorderly conduct and throwing or throwing objects into the canyon, which carries a maximum fine of $5,000 and six months in jail, according to a copy of the forfeiture agreement written filing that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District has closed. of Arizona issued to the Republic of Arizona.
Sigmond was ordered to pay a $285 fine, including a $60 processing fee. A spokesperson for the U.S. Courts Administration confirmed to The Republic that the Central Violations Bureau received two payments of $155 and $130 from Katie Sigmond on Nov. 15.
Although Sigmond was initially scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Flagstaff, her case was resolved through a collateral forfeiture agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona. In other words, she paid fines for felony charges to the Texas-based Central Violations Bureau, which processes tickets and payments for “minor offenses committed on federal property,” according to the website.
This effectively closed Sigmond’s case with no convictions on her record. She did not respond to an email request for comment.
Information on the fines for various federal offenses, such as spitting on U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs property and owning bald or golden eagles without a permit, can be found on the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona website at https:/ /www. azd.uscourts.gov/19-14.
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Sigmond, who lives in Southern California, is known for posting videos of herself working out, traveling, dancing and playing golf, as well as performing public stunts and pranks. But she’s far from the only one throwing something into the Grand Canyon.
In October 2021, a visitor was pictured hitting baseballs from the Yavapai Geology Museum on the South Rim. After the National Park Service asked for tips to identify the person, he contacted NPS Police to identify himself, said Joëlle Baird, a spokesperson for the Grand Canyon National Park Public Affairs Office.
It is not clear whether the man has been held accountable for his actions.
Baird told The Republic that the NPS knows that stunts like this happen in the Grand Canyon and has received similar videos to Sigmond’s.
“It’s a shame it happens,” she says.
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That’s why the NPS wants the public to know that launching items over the rim of the Grand Canyon isn’t just illegal — it’s also dangerous because the object could hit a hiker or an animal if it falls or even cause a landslide through rocks to loosen.
Defacing the landscape is a crime on federal land and disrespectful because the Grand Canyon is the ancestral homeland of indigenous peoples, including the Hualapai and Havasupai tribes. Today, the national park recognizes 11 tribes traditionally associated with the Grand Canyon.
People wishing to send tips related to public safety or relief inquiries can contact the Investigative Services Branch by calling or texting the ISB’s tip line at 888-653-0009, by submitting an online form at https://www.nps.gov/ISB or email to [email protected].
Reach the reporter at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @kimirobin and Instagram @ReporterKiMi.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: TikTok star fined for hitting golf ball in Grand Canyon
