By Tim Binnall
Spanish authorities are on the hunt for a young man who faces a massive fine for foolishly tossing a sizeable rock over a cliff at a national park. The troubling incident reportedly occurred earlier this month at Picos de Europa, which welcomes around two million visitors annually. Unlike the vast majority of guests who are content exploring the picturesque site without causing any problems, this particular young man felt compelled to misbehave in a manner that he just might live to regret, especially since he purposely posted footage of the 'prank' online.
In the video (seen below), the troublemaker stands along a walking trail and hurls a huge rock down into a ravine. After a few seconds, the hefty object can be heard hitting the ground with a thunderous boom. The young man's antics likely would have gone unnoticed had he not subsequently posted the footage online in pursuit of his proverbial fifteen minutes of fame. The video eventually made its way to a popular social media account that, in a sad display of what passes for entertainment these days, showcases young people performing similarly dangerous rock-tossing stunts.
Alerted to the incident by way of the video, Spain's national law enforcement agency shared the footage on its own social media account and lambasted the young man for his behavior. "This gesture can cost you dearly," they wrote, noting that "disturbing the environment in the Picos de Europa National Park is a very serious offense." To that end, they indicated that the stunt could result in a fine ranging from around $5,600 up to a jaw-dropping $225,000.
Beyond the blatant disregard for the sanctity of the site, many online viewers observed that the incident could have had a tragic ending since the rock landed in a spot frequented by livestock farmers. Fortunately, the young man seemingly managed to avoid that life-altering outcome. That said, he may still have to face the consequences for his mindless mischief as authorities are investigating the case with the hopes of identifying the ne'er-do-well and bringing him to justice.