NEWSLINE PAPER,- The community is being asked to help identify two people who were seen at Lake Mead National Recreation Area harming historic rock formations.
Video shows two tourists moving huge sandstone slabs to the ground while scaling tall red rock formations along the park's Redstone Dune Trail. One small child yells as the rock falls and turns into powder.
Created from sand dunes that date back 140 million years, the legally protected formations are irreversibly damaged. Spokesman for the recreation area John Haynes called the destruction "shocking."
For what purpose could you ever ruin a place this beautiful? They are up there utterly destroying one of my favorite places in the park. "That is incomprehensible to me."
Overlooking Lake Mead National Recreation Area are views of artistic rock formations from the Redstone Dune Trail.
Overlooking Lake Mead National Recreation Area are sculptural rock formations along the Redstone Dune Trail. Park Service
The footage was shot, according to KVVU, on April 7. Rangers at the park urged anyone who were on the route at the time or had knowledge to pass it along.
The men are suspected of vandalism, the recreation area said in a social media post. When the culprits are apprehended, Haynes warned KVVU, they might face federal charges, jail time, or large fines.
Covering 1.5 million acres, the vast recreational area includes two significant reservoirs that extend into Arizona and Nevada, as well as breathtaking mountain views and canyon trails. Six million people visit the park annually because of the water activities at Lake Mead reservoir, but a severe drought in the Western region has caused the lake's water levels to drop significantly, exposing submerged boats and other objects.
(Newsline Paper/way)