- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Wednesday, July 1, 1992
- Date: Wed, 1 Jul 1992
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
Ranger Activities Division Information Network
Day/Date: Wednesday, July 1, 1992
INCIDENTS
92-307 - Grand Canyon (Arizona) - Follow-up on Search for Felon
The search for D.H. continues. The vehicle that he stole from two
foreign visitors on East Rim Drive on Monday was found yesterday near
Grandview Point, about two miles west of the picnic area from which it was
taken (the reported sighting of the vehicle in the Kaibab National Forest
yesterday was erroneous). D.H. took a number of items from the vehicle,
including water bottles, clothes, money, flashlights, a duffle bag and a
sleeping bag. Dog teams were brought to the location and tracked D.H. as
far as Yaki Point, just over four miles west of Grandview Point, before
losing the scent. Around noon, searchers received a reliable report that
D.H. had been seen near the Yavapai Museum west of Yaki Point. No
further clues or reports have been received since that time. At this point,
the search area extends from Desert View to Grand Canyon Village and south
from those points into the Kaibab National Forest. As of this morning,
there are 321 people involved in the search, including 175 law enforcement
officers. Four special event teams, two each from Western and Rocky
Mountain Regions, have been sent to the park along with rangers from twelve
parks. Six helicopters and three fixed-wing aircraft are being utilized by
searchers. [Ken Phillips, IC team, GRCA, 7/1]
92-322 - Sequoia/Kings Canyon (California) - Search
On Sunday, June 21st, rangers received a report that G.R., 34, who is
severely mentally impaired, was missing near Lodgepole. An intense ground
and air search was initiated, and selected search teams worked beyond
midnight in rugged mountain terrain in attempt to locate him. Dog teams
from the Orange County and Tulare County sheriff's offices and volunteer
search dog teams from Tulare County were brought in the following morning to
support the 40 ground and air search teams deployed in the search. The dog
teams alerted to G.R.'s scent on the Twin Lakes Trail that morning, and he
was found alive and well just after 2:00 p.m. [Pete Allen, LEO, SEKI, 6/29]
92-323 - Big South Fork (Tennessee) - Marijuana Eradication
On June 29th, rangers, Forest Service officers and sheriff's deputies
travelled to a site within the park to eradicate two small marijuana patches
which had previously been spotted from the air by surveillance aircraft.
Upon arrival, they found a trail system which led to numerous scattered
marijuana plants, several small patches, and a nearby house. A woman at the
house consented in writing and on videotape to a search of the premises. A
small quantity of marijuana was found drying in the attic and in a closet,
and marijuana seeds were found in several prescription pill containers.
Three loaded weapons were also found and seized. A total of 390 plants were
found in the immediate area, some visible from the back porch of the house.
Rangers believe that the woman's husband is the grower. No arrests were
made at the scene, but officers are working with the U.S. Attorney's Office
on charges. [John Cannon, CR, BISO, 6/30]
92-324 - Biscayne (Florida) - Drowning
Rangers responded to a reported drowning in the north part of the park near
Stiltsville on June 27th. Upon arrival at the scene, rangers met Metro-Dade
officers who had removed the victim from the water. A witness, O.V.,
was diving with the victim, R.M., 34, in one of the narrow
channels in the north end of the park. When they surfaced, he became
unconscious. O.V. removed R.M.'s weight belt and SCUBA gear and
attempted to swim with him back to their boat. The current was too strong,
however, so she swam to one of the nearby Stiltsville houses with R.M. in
tow. O.V. could not lift him out of the water, so she tied him to a
stairway on the house and eventually was able to flag down a passing boat.
The fatality is being investigated by Metro-Dade. [Wayne Landrum, CR, BISC,
6/30]
92-325 - Biscayne (Florida) - Sunken Boat; Oil Spill
On June 26th, rangers discovered a sunken 28-foot boat near Black Point
Marina. The top of the boat was out of the water, causing a hazard to
navigation, and the 200 gallons of diesel fuel on board were leaking into
the ocean, creating an oil slick. A towing service was dispatched to the
scene and the boat was raised and taken to park headquarters. Arrangements
were made to have the boat pulled out of the water and hauled off. The
owner of the boat will be charged the cost of removal, which will be about
$3,000. [Wayne Landrum, CR, BISC, 6/30]
92-326 - Gulf Island (Florida/Mississippi) - Drowning
J.V., 36, a non-swimmer, was floating on an inflatable device with
his fiancee about 150 yards off Perdido Key on the afternoon of June 28th
when he apparently slipped off into choppy water. His fiancee tried to save
him, but almost drowned herself when he kept pulling her under. She managed
to make it to shore and yelled for help; other visitors in the area
commandeered a surf board and went to his aid. It took the rescuers from 10
to 12 minutes to get J.V. to shore. Rangers also responded and began
administering CPR. EMS personnel soon arrived and took over. J.V. was
taken via Lifeflight helicopter to a local hospital, where he was pronounced
dead. Alcohol is suspected to have been a contributing factor. The
drowning occurred about between a half and three-quarters of a mile from the
guarded beach area. [Gene Phillips, CR, GUIS, 6/29]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level II
2) FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 6/30 7/1 Status
OR USFS Okanogan NF McCay - T2 500 500 CN 7/2
WA BIA Colville Agency Boot Mtn. - T2 15,259 15,259 CND
UT USFS Uinta NF Dry Creek 400 450 CND
NM USFS Santa Fe NF Clara 150 80 CND
AZ State - * Cable - 170 CND
CO BLM Craig Dist. Big Cedar 100+ 60 CN 7/1
Draw 140 140 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 DM - Demob in progress
3) FIRE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS - No significant fires reported.
4) FIRE ACTIVITY - 124 fires for 1,239 acres reported in past 24 hours.
5) ANALYSIS - Initial attack activity is expected in the Southwest, and
demobilization will continue in the Northwest.
6) PROGNOSIS - No resource shortages expected.
[NPS Wildland Fire Summary, 7/1; NIFCC Intelligence Section, 7/1]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No field reports today.
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief: Brady conducting field interviews for "Ranger Futures"
project (6/28-7/3).
Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Henry on annual leave (6/25-7/2);
Smith on annual leave (6/22-7/2); Coffey on detail to WASO Wildlife and
Vegetation.
Branch of Fire and Aviation: No leave or travel scheduled.
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