Pierce Brosnan cited for walking in dangerous thermal areas at Yellowstone National Park
Some places are off limits to everyone, even James Bond.
Pierce Brosnan ("GoldenEye," "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Mamma Mia!") has to go to court in Wyoming after being accused of "foot travel in a thermal area" at Yellowstone National Park on Nov. 1. The Irish actor has been ordered to appear in court in the matter next month.
Brosnan, 70, actor received two citations on Tuesday connected to walking in forbidden thermal areas within Yellowstone Canyon.
No further details regarding the citations have been released. Brosnan is set to appear at the state's U.S. District Court on Jan. 23.
Brosnan's representatives did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment Wednesday.
Brosnan has recently been filming at Yellowstone Film Ranch for a Western called "Unholy Trinity, according to Deadline. He is starring in the movie alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Brandon Lessard.
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What are thermal features?
Thermal features are the "visible expression of the hydrothermal system and the underlying hot ground and magma storage region deep below the surface," according to the US Geological Survey. These can include geysers, hot springs, steam vents and mudpots.
The hydrothermal system is found within the top few hundred meters or yards of the earth's crust whereas the magma storage region is several kilometers or miles below that.
Yellowstone bans touching thermal features
The Yellowstone National Park is home to over 10,000 thermal features. Park officials have multiple safety regulations regarding the natural wonders.
More than 20 people have died from burns received at the Yellowstone’s hot springs, according to the park.
"Water in hot springs can cause severe or fatal burns, and scalding water underlies most of the thin, breakable crust around hot springs," according to the park. "Boardwalks and trails protect you and delicate thermal formations."
These are the following rules for Yellowstone's thermal areas per the official website:
- Do not touch thermal features or runoff
- Only walk on boardwalks and designated trails
- Keep children close and make sure they don't run on boardwalks.
- Do not swim or soak in hot springs
- Pets are prohibited in thermal areas.
- Do not throw objects into hot springs or other hydrothermal features
- Leave the area immediately if you begin to feel sick by the geyser basins as toxic gases may accumulate
Penalties for walking in a thermal area in Yellowstone
In 2020, two men were sentenced to 10 days in jail and a five-year ban from Yellowstone for trespassing on the closed Old Faithful Geyser thermal area in Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming.
According to the National Park Service, Eric Schefflin of Lakewood, Colorado, and Ryan Goetz of Woodstock, New York faced the following penalties:
- 10 days of incarceration
- $540 in restitution
- Five years of unsupervised probation
- Five year ban from Yellowstone National Park
“Visitors must realize that walking on thermal features is dangerous, damages the resource, and illegal. Law enforcement officers take this violation seriously. Yellowstone National Park also appreciates the court for recognizing the impact thermal trespass can have on these amazing features,” Chief Ranger Sarah Davis said in a statement at the time of the sentencing.
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