A group of boy scouts that were hiking in Utah may face charges after they knocked over an ancient rock formation, according to FOX New. They posted a video of the action on YouTube.
The boy scouts, all between the ages of 14 and 16, were being led by Dave Hall, a scoutmaster from Highland, on a trip to Goblin Valley State Park. They said they noticed the rock formation was loose and feared it would injure someone.
"This is about saving lives," Hall, who shot the YouTube video, said to FOX News. "One rock at a time."
The now broken rock formation was approximately 170 million years old, according to Eugene Swalberg, the spokesman for Utah State Parks. The park are of Utah is covered with thousands of sandstone formations.
"This is not behavior that is appreciated or should exist in state parks," Swalberg told the Deseret News. "This has been formed for literally millions of years, and it's supposed to last for a long time.
"It doesn't need individuals doing the work of mother-nature," Swalberg continued.
In the YouTube video, Glenn Taylor, another scoutmaster from highland, can be seen wedging himself between one rock formation and a boulder to have the traction to knock a large rock off of the top of the formation. Taylor and two other companions are then seen cheering the destruction with high-fiving and dancing.
"My conscience won't let me walk away knowing that kids could die," Hall said. He added that some of the scouts were jumping on the rocks and noticed a large boulder that was loose, the one they then destroyed.
"You can't have a rock the sixe of a car that you can push with one hand, and have it roll, and not have an adrenaline rush," Hall said. "It was a crazy, exciting moment."
Park authorities are conducting an investigation while the Boy Scouts of America have condemned the action.
Video of the boy scouts cheering as they push the rock.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
