- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Friday, August 14, 1992
- Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
Ranger Activities Division Information Network
Day/Date: Friday, August 14, 1992
INCIDENTS
92-417 - Yosemite (California) - Rescue
On the afternoon of August 6th, park visitors reported hearing cries for
help from a party on the Nose route on El Capitan. Rangers responded and
quickly determined that two Spanish-speaking climbers were calling for help
from a ledge near Dolt Tower. Ranger Gustavo Martinez flew by in the park's
contract helicopter and employed a message board to determine that one of
the two, J.S., from Barcelona, Spain, had suffered incapacitating
back injuries. The other climber, A.V., also of Barcelona, was
uninjured. The two were on a ledge just big enough to accommodate Serrano
in a supine position. A helicopter was summoned from Lemoore NAS to assist
in the rescue; at the same time, a four-member rescue team began climbing
the 1200 feet to the ledge. With the aid of the Navy helicopter, rangers
John Roth and John Dill heli-rappelled onto the ledge after A.V. was picked
up and flown out. Dill and Roth performed a medical assessment on J.S.
and packaged him in a litter, all on the very limited space provided by the
ledge. Roth and the litter were hoisted into the Navy ship, but Dill spent
the night on the ledge. The evacuation occurred about five minutes before
darkness would have forced the helicopter to abort the mission. The rescue
team assisted Dill in his descent the following day. Preliminary reports on
J.S. indicate a compression fracture of the L-1 vertebra and a possible
lacerated liver. This was the 159th SAR in Yosemite this calendar year.
[Jim Tucker, YOSE, 8/11]
92-418 - Yosemite (California) - Climbing Fatalities
Just after 4:00 p.m. on the afternoon of August 9th, Tuolumne rangers
received a report that two climbers - A.M., 39, of Stateline, Nevada,
and C.N., 37, of South Lake Tahoe, Nevada - had been killed
while climbing on the southeast buttress of Cathedral Peak. A.M., an
experienced climber, and C.N., a novice, had begun their climb about
three hours earlier. A.M., who was leading the climb, was belaying
Kostecki from a position above her on the fourth pitch when she fell,
causing an anchor failure which pulled A.M. from his belay position. Both
climbers fell about 400 feet before landing at the base of the peak. They
were pronounced dead at the scene by rangers. [Cathy Casalegno, YOSE, 8/11]
92-419 - Yosemite (California) - MVA with Serious Injuries
A car driven by J.L., 25, of Redwood City, California, went off the
roadway on Big Oak Flat Road on the evening of August 9th, hit an
embankment, then crossed into the oncoming lane of the highway and hit a car
with five occupants. All four people in the J.L. vehicle and four of the
five people in the second vehicle were injured. Two were eventually taken
to the trauma center in Modesto; the others were treated on-scene and taken
to the park medical clinic. Both lanes of traffic were blocked and the road
was closed for almost three hours. Personnel from throughout the park
responded and provided emergency care. J.L. was treated, then taken into
custody and booked on seven counts of felony DUI. The only uninjured person
was the driver of the second vehicle, as his car was equipped with a
driver's side airbag. [Dave Lattimore, YOSE, 8/11]
92-420 - Colonial (Virginia) - Homicide Arrest
Just before 4:30 p.m. on the afternoon of August 12th, the park
communications center received a report from a visitor who said he had heard
shots and screams coming from a wooded area along Colonial Parkway about a
half hour previously. Ranger Ken Doak responded and located the body of
17-year-old G.T. of Richmond, Virginia. G.T. had been shot
numerous times and an attempt had been made to burn her body. The incident
occurred in an area of proprietary jurisdiction, so the investigation was
conducted by the York County sheriff's office in conjunction with the park
and the FBI. Excellent police work by York County authorities led to the
arrest ten hours later of H.B., 27, also of Richmond and a boyfriend
of the victim. H.B. is being held without bond on charges of first degree
murder. [Jim Burnett, CR, COLO, 8/13]
92-421 - Grand Canyon (Arizona) - Rescue
On August 5th, ranger paramedic Nancy Mecham and IEMT Ken Phillips responded
by helicopter to a report of a medical emergency at Crystal Rapids in which
the victim had broken his neck. Upon arrival, they found 41-year-old D.L.
paralyzed from the neck down. D.L. had dived head first into
the recover a water bottle, had hit his head on rock just two feet below the
surface, and had instantly been paralyzed. He was able to hold his breath
while he sank below the water. His brother saw him floating below the water
and pulled him out. There was a nearly two-hour delay in reporting the
incident because of the remote location of the incident. The two rangers
provided full C-spine protection, placed him on a heart monitor, and
administered an IV and oxygen. D.L. was medevaced to Flagstaff
hospital, where x-rays indicated that he'd suffered a C-4 fracture.
D.L. underwent spinal fusion surgery and has regained some use and
feeling in his extremities. Doctors are hoping for a possible 80% recovery.
[Chris Pergiel, GRCA, 8/11]
92-422 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - Drug Arrest
An interagency team comprised of park personnel, Beckley City officers and
DEA agents successfully concluded a month-long drug operation on August 13th
with the arrest of L.G. of Beckley, West Virginia, in the Grandview
Subdistrict. Patrol rangers provided initial information on L.G., who has
a history of drug use, drug dealing and violence, and investigators
subsequently identified him as a suspect in drug deals both in and out of
the park. Mid-Atlantic Regional Office funded a covert/surveillance
operation against L.G.; the park's criminal investigators gathered
additional information on him, and subsequently brought in Beckley City
police and DEA. On August 13th, L.G. purchased a pound of processed
marijuana from an undercover park investigator and was arrested. The
marijuana had been provided by DEA, and the reverse buy operation had been
approved by the U.S. attorney's anti-drug task force. The team also
confiscated $1,000 in cash and L.G.'s new Ford Ranger pickup. Several
federal charges are pending against him, including possession with intent to
distribute. Park investigators have obtained additional information which
will lead to the search of two residences used by L.G.. [Chris Schrader,
CI, NERI, 8/13]
92-423 - Blue Ridge (North Carolina/Tennessee) - Lightning Fatality
M.C., 30, of Arlington, Texas, was hiking on or near Flat Top trail
at Peaks of Otter on August 11th when he was caught in a severe lightning
storm. A bolt of lightning hit him and he fell and struck his head on a
rock. Hikers found M.C.'s body the following day. [Larry Freeman, BLRI,
8/13]
92-424- Kings Mountain (South Carolina) - Stolen Vehicle; Drug Arrest
On August 8th, a ranger stopped a Ford pickup for a speeding violation in
the park. After making initial contact with the driver, the ranger ordered
him to move the truck to a safer position, then returned to move his
cruiser. As he did so, the driver exited the truck and fled into the woods.
The ranger took the female passenger into custody and summoned assistance.
A check on the vehicle registration revealed that it had been stolen in
Spartanburg on August 4th. A canine unit searched the scene, but was unable
to pick up the driver's scent. Marijuana was found in the vehicle, which
was impounded. Investigators subsequently determined that the driver was
D.G., 23, who had just been released from the Cherokee County
Correctional Center on five years' probation, and that the woman was E.C.,
38, of Cherokee Falls. E.C. was arrested for possession of a
controlled substance; D.G. is still at large. [Kevin Taylor, KIMO, 8/10]
92-425 - Big South Fork (Tennessee) - Drug Arrests
Rangers and Forest Service officers began covert surveillance of several
marijuana patches on Stephens Knob on August 3rd. On the morning of the
5th, two men carrying firearms walked into one of the patches but left for
unknown reasons. A day later, the same two men - D.J., 50, and
R.V., 45 - returned to the patch via a different route and were
arrested by the team. R.V., who was carrying a loaded shotgun at the
time, is a convicted felon and had been arrested previously by the Forest
Service for timber theft and for manufacturing dangerous explosive devices.
The patches contained 159 marijuana plants. It's uncertain whether the two
were actually growing the marijuana or were coming to steal it from another
grower. [John Cannon, CR, BISO, 8/7]
92-426 - Black Canyon of the Gunnison (Colorado) - Rescue
On the evening of August 12th, rangers received a report of an injured hiker
at the bottom of SOB Draw on the Gunnison River. P.G., 16, of
Bridgewater, Massachusetts, had been hiking with his family earlier that day
when he slipped on rocks and fell into the river. The Gunnison, which was
flowing at 755 cfs, carried P.G. over three short waterfalls before he
was able to swim to shore on the opposite side of the river from his family.
P.G. suffered abrasions and a possible broken leg in the incident. His
family was unable to reach him, but was able to throw supplies across the
river while others went for help. Rangers were not able to respond that
evening because oncoming darkness made descent via the steep and hazardous
route to the river too dangerous a proposition, but ranger Vance Carter got
to him early the following morning. Since P.G. was at a spot which was
unreachable by trail and there was no landing site available, a helicopter
was used to hoist Carter to P.G. and then bring both of them back to the
north side of the river. P.G. was then transported to Delta for further
medical attention. [Dave Roberts, CR, BLCA, 8/13]
92-427 - Glacier (Montana) - Mountain Lion Attack
A mountain lion attacked 12-year-old N.M. of Cornville, Arizona,
about three and a half miles from the foot of Lake McDonald on the Going to
the Sun Road at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 12th. N.M.
suffered serious lacerations to the face and puncture wounds to the chest
and arm during the attack, which lasted about ten seconds. The boy and his
father were in the woods about 20 feet from the road when the lion attacked
the boy, who was about 15 feet behind his father. N.M.'s father was able
to kick the lion off the boy. Park medics and EMTs provided medical
assistance and an medevac helicopter transported the boy to Kalispell
Regional Hospital. A local mountain lion tracker and dog handler was called
in to track the lion. He was joined by rangers, who shot the lion when it
was found. The animal will be sent to a state lab for a necropsy. [Steve
Frye, CR, GLAC, 8/13]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level II
2) FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 8/13 8/14 Status
OR USFS Willamette NF High Spirit
Complex - T1 155 177 CN 8/14
Fremont NF * Rim - T2 - 350 NEC
CA USFS Klamath NF Panther - T2 270+ 272 CND
Sierra NF * Italian - T2 - 400+ NEC
CDF Lassen-Modoc RU Mud 1,500 1,000 CN 8/14
* Bieber Creek - 300 NEC
MT State - * Deer Creek #3 - T2 - 100 NEC
ID State - Porter Creek - T2 120 500 CN 8/14
UT BLM Richfield Dist. Buckeye 1,700 1,700 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 -
* NPS Areas - No significant fire activity is occurring. A number of
personnel are still out on fires on other agencies. The Butte Fire
at Lassen had burned about 25 acres by yesterday; three crews and a
helicopter have been committed. Park crews at Lava Beds responded
to six lightning-caused fires on the 12th. The Arrowhead crew has been
committed to a local fire. Small fires are being reported at Yosemite,
Saguaro, Sequoia, Mesa Verde, Yellowstone, Great Smokies, Redwood and
Grand Canyon.
4) FIRE ACTIVITY - 484 fires for 9,206 acres in the past 24 hours.
1991 Fires (Year-To-Date): 56,570 1991 Acres (Year-To-Date): 1,916,514
1992 Fires (Year-To-Date): 66,286 1992 Acres (Year-To-Date): 1,167,521
5) ANALYSIS - Initial attack activity has increased in California and Oregon
due to recent lightning. Numerous units in the Northwest, California,
northern Rockies and the Great Basin are reporting very high to extreme
fire indices.
6) PROGNOSIS - Initial activity is expected to continue and the potential
for project fires exists because of red flag conditions. Watches are
in effect for dry lightning, hot temperatures and low relative
humidity in central Montana and for winds in northwest California. A
warning has been posted for an unstable air mass with dry lightning
and low relative humidities in central Idaho.
[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 8/14]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No field reports today.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
1) SAR and Law Enforcement Reports - Please note that all search and rescue
and law enforcement reports MUST BE IN BY OCTOBER 9th to ensure
reimbursement for funds expended on SAR/LE operations in FY92.
2) Incident Reports - Please note again that the main fax for Ranger
Activities is temporarily down. Reports should be sent to the Fire and
Aviation fax at 202-208-5977.
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.
Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Schamp on annual leave (8/6-8/14).
Branch of Fire and Aviation: Hurd on annual leave (8/7-8/14); Spruill at DOI
aviation council meeting, Boise, ID (8/10-8/14); Clark on annual leave
(8/10-8/21).
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