An American “danger tourist” who models himself on Tintin faces up to five years in prison after illegally sailing to a remote island and leaving a can of Coke for the world’s most dangerous and isolated tribe.

Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, 24, from North Goldwater, Arizona, tried to make contact with the reclusive indigenous inhabitants of North Sentinel Island, part of an Indian archipelago in the Bay of Bengal, which is off limits to visitors to protect the islanders’ way of life.

Indian police said Mr Polyakov travelled to the island in the early hours of Saturday morning using a makeshift craft to cross a 25-mile strait from Kurma Dera beach on South Andaman Island.

“This is it. The last uncontracted tribe. The last mystery. If they see me, will they attack? Or will they accept me?” his Go-Pro camera microphone recorded him whispering as he approached the forbidden island.