RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                       MORNING REPORT

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

Day/date: Friday, June 22, 1990

INCIDENTS

90-144 - Zion (Utah) - Follow-up on Death of Seasonal Park Ranger

The park has provided some additional information on the death of seasonal
park ranger/naturalist John Ethridge, 40, on the morning of the 20th. John
was descending Hidden Canyon trail with some visitors who'd been on his
nature hike when he lost his balance, apparently as a result of his foot
sliding on sandstone rock. He then slid and bounced about 75 feet before
dropping another 90 feet into a high-angle gully. A park medic was on scene
in about an hour, but found no signs of life. John began his seasonal
employment at Zion in May of 1978. He held numerous positions in the
Division of Resource Management and Visitor Protection over the subsequent
twelve years, and worked in fee collection, backcountry, fire and general
resource management. This was his first assignment to the Division of
Interpretation. John is survived by his mother and two brothers. We will
try to provide you with information on the funeral later today or early
Monday. (Telefax from Larry Van Slyke, CR, ZION, 6/21).

90-150 - Yosemite (California) - Successful Rescue

On the afternoon of June 16th, rangers received a report of a person trapped
in the cascade water of Yosemite Creek. Park visitor E.W. had been
attempting to take photographs off the trail when he fell into the cascade
pools. Although E.W. was able to extricate himself, he again fell into
the creek on his second photo attempt, then slid approximately 100 feet down
a cliff and became lodged in the swift water of the inner gorge between
upper and lower Yosemite Falls. Rangers Joe Sumner and Kim Aufhauser were
helicoptered in wet suits to a site near E.W., then rappelled 180 feet
down a tributary waterfall to reach him. E.W. was unhurt, but severely
hypothermic, having been up to his lower chest in 40 degree temperature
water for over four hours. During the raising procedure (using a chest
harness and Z-rig hauling rope system), E.W. stopped breathing.
Aufhauser and Sumner stopped the procedure, quickly administered
mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and were able to maintain E.W.'s airway.
With E.W. now in a full harness, the raising process began again.
Unfortunately, those manning the hauling system were unable to see either
E.W., Aufhauser and Sumner or the obstacles that they wer encountering.
During the final stages of raising, E.W. and Sumner were pulled through
a waterfall and were momentarily unable to breathe. Ranger Kerry Maxwell,
acting as spotter, radioed an urgent warning of their predicament and
hastened the pulling efforts of the raising team. Sumner's head finally
came through the falling water far enough to allow him to breathe and he was
able to pull E.W.'s head out of the water as well. Exhausted, Aufhauser
and Sumner finally succeeded in bringing the 230-pound E.W. to a site
where he could be evacuated by helicopter; he was short-hauled to the valley
floor by the park's contract ship just before dark. Rain and windy
conditions during the entire operation made helicopter operations difficult.
Visibility at the end of the evacuation flight prevented the helicopter from
either leaving the valley or evacuating staff from the rescue site.
Subsequent reports showed E.W.'s body core temperature to be 83 degrees.
He was transported by ambulance from the park and subsequently flown by
Medi-Flight to a hospital in Modesto. E.W. was subsequently released
from that hospital without permanent injury. (Roger Rudolph, CR, YOSE, via
CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 6/21).

90-151 - Capitol Reef (Utah) - Poaching Conviction

At 4:30 a.m. on the morning of May 31st, off-duty rangers responded to the
sound of gunfire in the park and apprehended S.A., 21, and J.B.,
22, as they attempted to leave the park after killing wildlife. The
two men subsequently pleaded guilty to two counts each of illegally taking
wildlife in a national park; each was sentenced to six months in jail
(suspended) and was fined $1,000. Both were placed on 10 months supervised
probation. (CompuServe message from Glen Sherill, CARE, 6/21).

90-152 - Glen Canyon (Utah) - Assault and Molestation

During the early morning hours of June 21st, a ten-year-old girl and her
five-year-old brother were sleeping in a van at Lone Rock Beach with several
female adults when 20-year-old N.B.W., an employee of ARA
Leisure Services, a park concessioner, reached in through the van's open
sliding door and fondled both children. The boy's screams awakened his
mother. N.B.W. fled on foot after dropping his keys while attempting to
unlock his pickup truck. A male member of the party chased N.B.W. and
caught up with him; N.B.W. subsequently stabbed him in the left upper arm
with a screwdriver. N.B.W. then walked five miles along the lake shore to
Wahweap Marina, where he caught a ride back to Lone Rock and was arrested
while trying to get his pickup. N.B.W. will be prosecuted through the Utah
state court system. (Larry Clark, CR, GLCA, via CompuServe message to
RAD/RMRO and RAD/WASO, 6/21).

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level II

One geographic area experiencing high fire danger. Numerous Class A, B,
and C fires occurring and a potential exists for escapes to larger
(project) fires. Minimal mobilization of resources from other geographic
areas occurring. The potential exists for mobilizing additional
resources from other geographic areas.

2) FIRE SUMMARY

State  Agency      Area             Fire                    Acres  Status

FL     FL        State             Unnamed fire             36,000  MN

NM     FWS       Seviletta NWR     Marikay                     600  Yes
       USFS      Santa Fe NF       Sypher - T2                 110  CL 6/21
                                  *Pedro                       200  CN 6/23
       BLM/NM     Las Cruces       Devils Hill               2,000  Yes
                                  *Mary-Toy                    500  CN 6/21
       NPS        Guadalupe Mts.  *No Rain                      25  CL 6/30

TX     NPS        Lake Meredith    Big Canyon                6,200  CN 6/24

CA     CDF        San Luis Obispo  41                          500+ Yes

NOTES:

- Fires - Asterisk indicates newly reported fire. T1 and T2 indicate
  assigned Type I and Type II Teams.
- Status - Containment/control dates are estimates; CN means
  contain, CL means control, MN means the fire is being monitored; "none"
  means no estimate; "yes" means the fire has been contained.
- Agencies - All BLM areas are districts; CDF is California
  Department of Forestry.

3) FIRE NARRATIVES -

- Big Canyon Fire (Lake Meredith) - A Type 2 team and ten additional crews
were ordered yesterday afternoon. The fire escaped into the dry bed of
the Canadian River and made major runs throughout the day. Severe
thunderstorms and tornado activity were forecast for the area.

4) FIRE ACTIVITY - 148 fires for 8,505 acres in past 24 hours.

5) FIRE DANGERS - The following parks are experiencing high to
extreme fire danger this morning:

       High                Very High                 Extreme

Indiana Dunes             Bryce Canyon              Salinas
Padre Island              Carlsbad Caverns          Lake Meredith
Bandelier                 Guadalupe Mountains       Coronado
El Malpais                Pinnacles                 Chiricahua
Great Basin               Sequoia/Kings Canyon      Tonto
                          Saguaro                   Casa Grande
                          Walnut Canyon             Organ Pipe Cactus
                                                    Big Bend
                                                    Chaco Culture
                                                    Aztec Ruins

6) ANALYSIS - Fire activity in the Southwest and Colorado is increasing.
National parks report the following this morning:

* Carlsbad Caverns - The park has committed overhead to the Big
Canyon and No Rain Fires and firefighters to the No Rain Fire.

* Lava Beds - Park staff assisted on a helicopter crash at the
Butte Fire in which four people were injured.

*  Sequoia/Kings - The prescribed burn scheduled for the 20th was
cancelled due to low relative humidity.

7) PROGNOSIS - Continued fire activity is expected throughout the West due
to forecasted weather conditions.

(NPS National Wildland Fire Summary, 0430 MDT, 6/22/90; NICC Intelligence
Section, Daily Situation Report, 1630 MDT, 6/21/90; NICC Intelligence
Section, Fire Management Situation Report, 0530 MDT, 6/22/90).

STAFF STATUS

- Division Chief: No scheduled travel.

- Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Loach on AL (6/18-7/9); Healy on
  AL (6/17-6/22); Martin on AL (6/22); Kreis on lieu day; Henry on SL
  (6/22); Coffey on SL (6/22).

- Branch of Fire: Broyles and Clark at S-490/590 steering committee meeting,
  Portland, OR (6/18-22); Gale in Alaska on fire program review
  (6/16-6/24); Norum on AL (6/18-22).


Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities

Telephone:  FTS 268-4874/6039 or 202-208-4874/6039
Telefax:    FTS 268-5977 or 202-208-5977
CompuServe: WASO-RANGER
SEAdog:     1/650