By Tim Binnall
An ill-advised promotion promising cash hidden somewhere on Spain's Canary Islands turned into something of a disaster after dozens of people swarmed a protected sand dune to dig for the sizeable prize. The unfortunate incident reportedly occurred this past Saturday when the organizers of a forthcoming music festival took to social media with a rather tantalizing declaration. Explaining that they were allocated $1,000 "for the promotion of the event," they wrote that "instead of burning it in TV commercials we are going to hide it around the island." As one might imagine, this impromptu treasure hunt sparked something of a frenzy and then quickly went awry.
To the profound chagrin of local officials, a slew of people seeking the cash prize descended upon the Maspalomas Dunes Nature Reserve. Armed with all manner of implements for digging, the treasure hunters proceeded to carve away at the protected site in the hopes of unearthing a suitcase said to contain the money. Aghast at the treasure hunters' behavior, authorities subsequently launched an investigation into the incident, though they reportedly determined that the wind had managed to restore the sand dunes to their previous condition and there was "no impact on either the vegetation or the fauna." That said, the group that launched the treasure hunt in the first place was fined around $650 for the misguided promotion.