Some Jerk Crashed a Drone Into Yellowstone National Park’s Hot Springs

Drones are hard to fly. I know. I’ve crashed one. Repeatedly. But I didn’t do it into an amazing natural phenomena like the Grand Prismatic Spring like some tourist did this week at Yellowstone National Park.

An unnamed tourist was attempting to get some sweet pictures with a drone camera, but instead crashed the thing, possibly damaging the spring in the process.

There’s a ban on flying drones in national parks, and this is exactly why. They’re not the easiest things to control. If you don’t know what you’re doing you’re going to crash it into something, and it’d be great if the thing you crashed into wasn’t a national treasure we’re trying to preserve.

The Grand Prismatic is more than 121 feet deep and has a 370 foot diameter. Park officials aren’t sure where the drone is in the spring, or if they should risk damaging the site further trying to fish the drone out.

Drones are interesting pieces of technology, but if you can’t fly one without crashing the thing then don’t fly it around people or natural wonders.

(CNBC via BoingBoing, image via David Grimes)

Previously in drones droning

• Colorado town shoots down bill to let people shoot down drones
• Lakemaid Beer is testing drone beer delivery
• Hacker creates “zombie drones”

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