Visitors to one of the viewing spots at Mather Point venture beyond the barricades to get a closer view better photos of Grand Canyon. Sigmond was fined US$285 (RM1,255), according to the agreement, which was signed by Sigmond and federal authorities in mid-November. — Los Angeles Times/TNS
Just over a month after an influencer appeared in a video that showed her hitting a golf ball into the Grand Canyon before flinging the club over the edge as well, authorities have said the case has been settled out of court with a fine.
Court documents provided to The Times on Dec 5 show Katie Sigmond faced one count each of disorderly conduct creating a hazardous condition, and tossing or throwing items into the canyon.
Both offenses are considered Class B misdemeanors in the federal court system, which had jurisdiction over the incident because it occurred in a national park, and were punishable by a fine of up to US$5,000 (RM22,030) and six months to 30 days in prison, according to the document.
Sigmond was fined US$285 (RM1,255), according to the agreement, which was signed by Sigmond and federal authorities in mid-November.
The US attorney’s office for the District of Arizona provided the document to The Times but referred further questions to the National Park Service.
Grand Canyon National Park’s public affairs personnel could not be reached Monday and did not respond to emailed questions regarding the incident.
Park officials addressed the incident in an Oct 28 Instagram post.
“Do we really need to say, ‘don’t hit golf balls into the Grand Canyon?’,” the post said.
Accompanying the text was a screenshot of a video that’s since been deleted from Sigmond’s social media accounts but has been archived elsewhere on the internet.
“On Oct 26, an individual posted a video to her personal TikTok page showing her hitting a golf ball and throwing a golf club into the canyon near Mather Point,” park officials said. “Members of the public helped identify the individual’s social media account.”
The following day, Grand Canyon law enforcement identified, found and contacted the person later publicly identified as Sigmond, according to the post.
“Throwing objects over the rim of the canyon is not only illegal but can also endanger hikers and wildlife who may be below,” park officials said in October.
Further information on the incident was not available Monday.
Sigmond did not respond to an email from The Times seeking comment. – Los Angeles Times/Tribune News Service
