RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

Attention: Directorate
           Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
           CC: RAD Information Net

Day/date:  Friday, October 6, 1989

INCIDENTS

89-290 - Everglades (Florida) - Follow-up on Air Crash

The air crash in Shark Valley which killed two Miami doctors is now believed
to have been caused by a mid-air collision. A tire track was found on one
wing of the victims' airplane, leading investigators to believe that the
aircraft was struck from above, causing a wing to snap off. The NTSB has
impounded a Cessna 152 at the Tami Ami airport. The plane was flown by a
student pilot on the day of the incident. When he landed, he made no
mention of the incident, but FAA computer tapes show that the flight
patterns of the two planes intersected at the time of the accident.
(Telephone report from Steve Smith, RAD/SERO).

89-299 - Great Smokies (North Carolina/Tennessee) - Follow-up on Bear
Mauling

Bear #79, the black bear which attached and injured P.M. on
September 28th, was destroyed on the 29th. (Telephone report from Steve
Smith, RAD/SERO).

89-302 - Great Falls (Virginia) - Rescue

On October 1st, a 73-year-old man fell into the Potomac River just below the
main falls and was washed downstream. Park rangers, assisted by two
kayakers, were able to reach the man after he'd been drawn a half mile down
river through two sets of rapids; efforts to resuscitate him were
successful, and he was transported to Fairfax Hospital by the local fire
department. (CompuServe message from GWMP).

89-303 - Delaware Water Gap (Pennsylvania/New Jersey) - Arson

The Hartwick House, a building near the Dingman's Ferry bridge in New Jersey
which the park had purchased and was planning to raze, was destroyed by fire
on the night of October 3rd. There was nothing of value in the house; its
contents had been salvaged when the building was vacated by the lessee. The
fire was discovered by hunters just after 9 p.m. An investigation by New
Jersey State Police and the park's law enforcement specialist determined
that the fire was set by an arsonist. (CompuServe message from Ginny Paci,
RAD/MWRO).

89-304 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - Illegal Rafting Arrests

On October 1st, rangers and West Virginia DNR conservation officers served
arrest warrants on four individuals charged on 10 separate counts of
violating commercial white water regulations in the park. The arrests
culminated a two-month-long undercover operation run jointly by rangers and
conservation officers. While making the arrests, small amounts of marijuana
and LSD were confiscated and $18,000 worth of equipment was seized.
Although the primary targets of this investigation were "bandit" commercial
operators who had also committed a number of safety violations, intelligence
was also developed regarding the distribution, sales and use of illegal
drugs in the park. The investigation continues and additional arrests are
expected. (Telefax report from Bill Blake, CR, NERI).

89-305 - Lake Mead (Nevada/Arizona) - Drowning

L.M., 22, of Upland, California, was camping with relatives and
friends on a houseboat between El Dorado and Cottonwood Cave on the morning
of September 29th when he entered the lake for a swim after a night of
partying. His absence was noticed after ten minutes and attempts were made
to find him. L.M.'s body was discovered in ten feet of water. CPR was
administered for 15 minutes with no positive results. The victim was known
to suffer from epilepsy. His death was the park's 37th fatality this year.
(Lila Roybal, LAME, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO).

89-306 - Lake Mead (Nevada/Arizona) - Double Homicide

On the evening of October 5th, campers near Cottonwood East on Lake Mohave
saw flames and heard gunshots in the distance. When they investigated the
next day, they found a burned out 1976 Dodge van with two bodies - one male
and one female - in the back. The Mohave County Sheriff's Office is the
lead agency on the investigation. (Terry Green, LAME, via CompuServe
message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO).

89-307 - Zion (Utah) - Felony Arrest of Concession Employee

On the night of October 2nd, V.B., 28, an employee at Zion Lodge,
was arrested for speeding by park rangers. During a routine check of his
driver's license and registration, the rangers learned that Brevard was
wanted on a warrant for a $25,000 theft from a grocery store in Illinois.
V.B. was arrested, and was arraigned on the 3rd. He is being held for at
least 90 days in order to provide Illinois officials with sufficient time to
file for extradition proceedings. (UPI news report).

89-308 - Yellowstone (Wyoming) - Motor Vehicle Accident with Fatalities

At 11 p.m. on the 3rd, H.T., 65, and his wife C.T., 75, of
Bothos, Washington, were driving westbound on Canyon Road when their vehicle
left the road and hit a tree. Both were killed. Park roads were reported
to be extremely hazardous at the time due to ice and snow, despite park
efforts to keep them cleared.  (Tim Hudson, YELL, via telephone report to
RAD through USPP dispatch).

89-309 - Golden Gate (California) - VIP Visit

The Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism and recent recipient of
the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to free his subjects from Chinese
rule, will visit Golden Gate as part of his world tour on the 10th. He will
be flying by helicopter from Monterey to Mount Tamalpais, where a religious
ceremony will be held; he will then helicopter to Crissy Field and be driven
to the Commonwealth Club to deliver and address. The religious ceremony is
open to the public by invitation only due to the limited amount of parking.
Fran 600 to 1,000 people are expected to attend. The park will have a
contingent of ten rangers at the site, but no incidents are anticipated.
(Gil Soper, CR, GCGA, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO).

FIRE ACTIVITY

There is no fire report this morning.

OFFICE NOTES

1) Andy Ringgold has been selected to be the new superintendent at Cape Cod
National Seashore. His EOD has not yet been determined.

TRANSMITTALS

Memorandum: "New Uniform Contract", signed on October 2nd by Jack Morehead,
Associate Director, Operations, and sent the same day to each region for
distribution to all uniformed employees.

STAFF STATUS

Kreis on lieu day, Butch on A/L.

Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities

Telephone:  FTS 343-4874/6039 or 202-343-4874/6039
Telefax:    FTS 343-5977 or 202-343-5977
CompuServe: WASO-RANGER
SEAdog:     1/650 (Phone:343-6014; BAUD:2400)