RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

Attention: Directorate
           Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
           Ranger Activities Division Information Network

Day/Date:  Tuesday, May 19, 1992

INCIDENTS

91-*** - Hot Springs (Arkansas) - Robbery Conviction

On October 18, 1991, a pair of men employing a sawed-off shotgun robbed two
elderly women in an area of state jurisdiction, then robbed two local
visitors on the park's Grand Promenade.  The next day, rangers responded to
a police radio broadcast of an armed robbery involving a sawed-off shotgun
in a nearby residence and subsequently chased and apprehended the two men. 
One was recently sentenced to 81 months in federal district court; the other
received a 41 month term.  [CompuServe message from RAD/SWRO, 5/18]

91-585 - Hot Springs (Arkansas) - Follow-up on Kidnapping/Attempted Homicide

On October 27, 1991, a Hot Springs couple was driving with an acquaintance,
G.W.B., on Gulpha Gorge Road in the park when G.W.B. shot both the
husband and wife twice, sexually assaulted the woman, and kidnapped her in
their vehicle.  G.W.B. was subsequently arrested, and rangers and FBI agents
investigated the case.  Following proceedings in federal district court,
G.W.B. was sentenced to 240 months in prison, followed by five years of
probation.  [CompuServe message from RAD/SWRO, 5/18]

91-630 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - Follow-up on Arson Arrests

In October, 1991, park maintenance workers observed J.W.V. and
R.M., both of Beaver, West Virginia, igniting arson fires in several
locations in the park's Grandview unit.  Responding rangers arrested both
men as they were leaving the scene and subsequently charged them with four
felony arson counts under 18 USC 1855.  A total of 75 acres burned in the
four separate fires they started.  On Friday, May 1st, both men pled guilty
to four misdemeanor federal charges (stemming from a plea agreement) in
district court in Charleston, West Virginia.  As part of the plea
arrangement, it was stipulated that the district court would not be bound by
the federal misdemeanor sentencing guidelines.  A sentencing hearing is
scheduled for June 16th.  [Telefax from Duncan Hollar, DR, NERI, 5/18]

92-196 - Denali (Alaska) - Follow-up on SAR in Progress

Rangers finally reached the three Korean climbers on Mount McKinley
yesterday and evacuated them by helicopter.  Their condition is not
presently known.  The stranded climbers were in a snow cave at the 18,200-foot
level of the 20,320-foot peak.  Earlier reports indicated that the
group's leader was suffering from frostbitten fingers and altitude sickness.
The mountain received significant amounts of snow during an unusually strong
spring storm last week.  About 400 climbers were reported to have been on
the mountain over the past weekend.  [Media reports, 5/18 and 5/19]

92-199 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - Drowning

On the afternoon of May 9th, C.T., 34, of Stanford, Virginia, and
three others fell out of a commercial raft in the Class V Middle Keeney
Rapid.  Two men who fell out were immediately pulled back into the raft;
C.T. and another women were swept away from the raft and toward Lower
Keeney Rapid, also rated as a Class V rapid.  Although the other woman made
it through and was picked up by another raft, C.T. was swept into a rock
and log "strainer" at the head of the rapid and was pinned underwater. 
Commercial guides on the scene attempted to rescue her and contacted the
park by radio.  Rangers responded by raft, motorboat and overland. 
Whitewater guides employed several rescue techniques and finally freed
C.T. after she had been submerged in the river for about 50 minutes. 
Since she was picked up by people who did not know how long she'd been
underwater, CPR was begun and continued on shore.  Rangers arrived about 10
minutes after CPR was begun and continued resuscitation efforts while
preparing to evacuate C.T..  A HealthNet Aero Medical Helicopter Service
helicopter arrived on scene, landing on a large rock in the middle of the
river, and medivaced her to a hospital in Beckley.  Resuscitation efforts
were continued in the hospital for about 45 minutes before she was
pronounced dead.  This was the first drowning of the season in the park.  
[Rick Brown, DR, NERI, 5/18]

92-200 - Badlands (South Dakota) - Assist on Dinosaur Recovery

On May 14th, NPS personnel from Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Fossil Butte and
Dinosaur assisted the FBI in the seizure of "Sue", a famous tyrannosaurus
rex skeleton that the Black Hills Institute removed from the Cheyenne River
Indian Reservation in September of 1990.  The seizure stems from an FBI
investigation of the removal of the dinosaur from Indian lands.  No arrests
were made at the time of the seizure.  [Telefax from John Donaldson, CR,
BADL, 5/18]

92-201 - Independence (Pennsylvania) - Special Event

A total of about 10,000 people attended a special event in the Judge Lewis
Quadrangle commemorating the 44th anniversary of the independence of Israel
on Sunday, May 17th.  The celebration, which is sponsored by the Jewish
Community Relations Council of greater Philadelphia, is an annual event and
consists of a parade and festival.  For nine of the last ten years, the
festival has been held in the park.  Except for a few lost children (all
found) and some problems with unauthorized vendors, the event went off
without incident.  [Telefax from Bob Byrne, CR, INDE, 5/17]

92-202 - Blue Ridge (North Carolina/Virginia) - MVA with Fatality

J.W.D., 80, of Danville, Virginia, was killed on the afternoon
of May 16th when his vehicle left the roadway near milepost 186 and struck a
tree.  The accident is under investigation.  [Telefax from Marcella Gibson,
RAD/SERO, 5/18]

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level 1

2) FIRE SUMMARY

State  Agency     Area            Fire               5/18    5/19    Status

 ID    USFS    Idaho Pan. NF     East Fork Bluff-T2   250     250    CN 5/19

 MI    USFS    Mississippi NF    Big Pine             125     125    CND    

NOTES:

- Fires - Asterisk indicates newly reported fire (on this report). T1 and T2
  indicate assigned Type I and Type II Teams.
- Status - The following abbreviations are employed:
  NR - No report received      MS - Modified suppression strategy
  CL - Controlled              MN - Being monitored
  CS - Confinement strategy    NEC - No estimate of containment
  CN (date) - Expected date    CND - Contained
     of containment

3) ANALYSIS - Initial attack activity is increasing due to recent lightning
activity.
   
5) PROGNOSIS - No resource shortages expected.

[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 0536 MDT, 5/19]  

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: Brady at climbing management meeting, Denver, CO (5/18-5/20).

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Martin at semi-automatic weapon
testing, FLETC, Glynco, GA (5/18-5/20); Schamp at same session (5/18-5/22);
Coffey on annual leave (5/18-5/22); Sisto at climbing management meeting,
Denver, CO (5/18-5/20).

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Spruill at aviation management seminar, San
Francisco, CA (5/17-5/22); Gale at meeting developing Type II all-risk
management training scenarios, Phoenix, AZ (5/17-5/22); Broyles at NFPA
wildland fire conference, New Orleans, LA (5/17-5/22); Farrel at NFPA annual
meeting and site visit to Jean Lafitte, New Orleans, LA (5/16-5/23);
Mattingly coordinating Alpine IHC activities, Rapid City, SD (5/7-5/20);
Norum on annual leave (5/17-5/30).

Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities

Telephone:  Branch of R&VP - FTS 268-4874/6039 or 202-208-4874/6039
            Branch of F&A (WASO) - FTS 268-5572/5573 or 202-208-5572/5573

Telefax:    Branch of R&VP - FTS 268-6756 or 202-208-6756
            Branch of F&A (WASO) - FTS 268-5977 or 202-208-5977

CompuServe: Branch of R&VP - WASO-RANGER
            Branch of F&A (WASO) - WASO-FIRE-WO

cc:Mail     Branch of R&VP - WASO Ranger Activities
            Branch of F&A (WASO) - WASO Fire and Aviation