RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/Date:  Monday, March 29, 1993

Broadcast: By 0800 EST

INCIDENTS

93-147 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - Search and Rescue

On the afternoon of March 20th, T.G. and J.V. set out on a
seven-mile kayaking trip down a very steep run from Glade Creek in Babcock
State Park through Manns Creek to the New River.  Following the trip, they
planned on carrying their kayaks back up a steep trail to Babcock, where
their shuttle vehicle was waiting.  This was the first time the pair had
seen the creeks; because of the steep and rugged run, the trip required more
scouting and portaging then anticipated, so the two men did not arrive at
the confluence with the New River until well after dark.  They decided to
walk out but were unable to agree on the best route to take.  T.G. decided
to walk straight up the mountain through the woods back toward Babcock,
while J.V. walked upriver toward Thurmond along the railroad right-of-way
paralleling the river.  J.V. reached Thurmond around 11 p.m. and reported
T.G. still missing.  Rangers were contacted about 45 minutes later and
began making plans for a search operation.  At 7:45 a.m. the next day,
rangers found him near the top of the gorge about two miles south of the
state park.  T.G. had been hiking around in circles all night, and had
carried his kayak and gear up the steep canyon with him.  Although tired,
thirsty and hungry, he was otherwise in good shape.  [Rick Brown, DR, NERI,
3/26]

93-148 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - Derailment Prevented

While participating in the above search at about 5 a.m. on the 21st, ranger
Kinsey Shilling discovered a rock slide along a main CSX railroad line. 
Shilling had driven down the railroad right-of-way toward Sewell about a
half hour previously and was headed back toward Thurmond when he discovered
the access road blocked by the slide.  Due to the recent wet weather, a huge
boulder - about twelve by eight by eight feet - had torn loose from a point
near the top of the gorge and rolled down the canyon, hitting the tracks and
bending the rails.  Shilling immediately radioed dispatch, who contacted CSX
dispatch by phone.  Trains on the track were immediately contacted and
alerted about the hazard.  Within ten minutes of Shilling's discovery, a
coal train over a mile long and powered by four engines approached the scene
of the slide, but the engineer was able to stop well ahead of time because
of the warning he'd received.  The engineer praised Shilling for his quick
report and stated that the bent track would have definitely derailed the
train.  A second train arrived on the scene behind the first one within 20
minutes of the initial report.  Shilling's prompt action very likely
prevented either a second derailing or a collision between the two trains. 
[Rick Brown, DR, NERI, 3/26]

93-149 - Organ Pipe Cactus (Arizona) - Human Remains Found

A park visitor discovered a human skull in a dry wash a mile north of the
Mexican border on March 19th.  A ranger and county detectives investigated
and determined that the skull had probably been out in the desert for a long
period of time.  The skull and a few bone fragments were sent to a crime lab
for analysis.  The area where the remains were found is commonly used to
smuggle narcotics and illegal aliens in to the country.  A joint
investigation is underway.  [Aniceto Olais, CR, ORPI, 3/25]

93-150 - Yosemite (California) - Illegal Weapon Possession Conviction

Last October 3rd, ranger Steve Weinstock contacted three people drinking
alcohol inside a vehicle at a service station and discovered that one of the
passengers, S.M., was a known felon who had recently been released
from prison and was on parole.  S.M. had an extensive criminal and prison
history for burglary, possession of deadly weapons and assaults on peace
officers.  Weinstock and another ranger conducted an intensive on-scene
investigation and discovered that S.M. was in possession of firearms and
was providing alcohol to minors.  As they attempted to take him into custody
on related charges, S.M. became combative and attempted to resist arrest. 
He was quickly subdued and taken into custody.  Subsequent investigation
revealed that S.M. had illegally obtained one firearm from a home he had
burglarized in San Francisco three days before the Yosemite incident. 
S.M. was charged with first degree burglary, possession of stolen property
and being a felon in possession of a firearm.  The San Mateo county district
attorney prosecuted S.M. on a combination of federal and state charges. 
On March 9th, S.M. pled guilty to all charges and received a sentence of
four years in state prison.  The state parole board also found S.M. guilty
of parole violations and sentenced him to an additional two-year prison
term.  [Leslie Crossland, YOSE, 3/25]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

NOTES

1) Morning Report in WP 5.1 - The Word Perfect 5.1 version of the morning
report which is disseminated here in the Department of Interior is now
available to any interested party via a separate cc:Mail file transmittal. 
If you're interested in receiving it, please send a note to WASO Ranger
Activities.

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: Brady instructing at managing the protection function
training course (3/29-4/1).

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Henry meeting with aircraft
overflight contractor (3/29-3/30) and at seminar on fire management in
wilderness and parks (3/30-4/2).

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Erskine, Broyles, Norum and Botti at seminar on
fire management in wilderness and parks (3/29-4/1).

Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities

Telephone: Branch of R&VP - 202-208-4874
           Branch of F&A (WASO) - 202-208-5572
Telefax:   Branch of R&VP - 202-208-6756
           Branch of F&A (WASO) - 202-208-5977
cc:Mail:   Branch of R&VP - WASO Ranger Activities
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