- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Tuesday, June 7, 1994
- Date: Tues, 7 Jun 1994
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Tuesday, June 7, 1994
Broadcast: By 0930 ET
INCIDENTS
94-269 - Lake Mead (Nevada) - Memorial Day Incidents
The park had a very busy Memorial Day weekend, with over 200,000 people
visiting the area over the three-day period. One indicator of the degree of
activity: Visitors had to wait for up to an hour and a half to retrieve
their boats from the water at the park's launch ramps. Lake Mead's 40
commissioned rangers (down 11 from the authorized level) were augmented by
officers and personnel from the Nevada Department of Wildlife, Arizona Game
and Fish Department, Bullhead Police Department, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
The park volunteer staff also provided excellent support by keeping traffic
moving and providing information to visitors at launch ramps. Significant
incidents during the weekend included:
* The rescue of a visitor from drowning near Katherine by district
interpretive ranger Rex Norman. While operating his personal water
craft near Katherine Harbor, he spotted a boat sinking. Upon arrival,
he found a woman who was not wearing a life preserver trying to save
some belongings from the boat. When she began having difficulties
staying afloat, Norman jumped in and pulled her to a nearby boat.
* An assault on ranger Andy Rivas during a car stop. Rivas' assailant
was booked into county jail, where he was severely beaten by other
prisoners, allegedly for "having a bad attitude". When removed to an
isolation cell, he attempted to hang himself; rangers were accordingly
required to keep a 24-hour watch on him in the hospital from Sunday
until Tuesday, when he was returned to jail.
* The previously reported death of M.D., 18, in a fall while
parasailing.
* The treatment and medevac by Echo Bay rangers of a visitor who
received massive prop cuts to his upper leg when he dove into the
water and was hit by a houseboat operated by a member of his party.
* The near drowning of a visitor who crashed his jet ski into a rock and
was pulled from the lake after being thrown into the water face down
and unconscious.
* Transport of a young man to a hospital after he was injured while
trying to jump back and forth between houseboats during the night.
* Numerous contacts with Los Angeles and Las Vegas street gang members,
who came to the park in groups of five to 20. Gang members caused
serious concern to other visitors when they brandished or talked about
weapons they had with them, but all incidents were handled without
problem.
Over the course of the weekend, rangers issued 222 violation notices (many
more were given by Nevada and Arizona officers) and made 41 arrests. Among
the latter were 15 arrests for drunk driving, eight arrests for possession
or sale of a controlled substance, four fugitive warrant arrests, and one
murder warrant arrest. Rangers also responded to 85 water rescues, 20 EMS
incidents, 13 boating and two motor vehicle accidents, 10 larcenies, two
burglaries, two vehicle thefts, two weapons violations, and a boat fire.
[Bud Inman, LAME, 6/6]
94-270 - Lake Mead (Nevada) - Burglary Arrest
Early on the morning of May 11th, the government dock at Lake Mead was
entered illegally. A park patrol boat was vandalized, and the marine radio
and other equipment were taken. A witness was able to provide rangers with
the license number of the suspects' vehicle, which was registered in Oregon,
and physical descriptions of both of them. Criminal investigator Malcolm
Demunbrun was able to track down the two individuals, both of whom live in
the Las Vegas area. They were charged with burglary and confessed to the
crime. They will appear in court on June 21st. [Bud Inman, LAME, 6/6]
94-271 - Independence (Pennsylvania) - Multiple Count Conviction
Over the course of the past winter, E.L., 29, was arrested four
times following contacts with protection rangers for disruptions on park
property. On December 15th, rangers arrested E.L. after he became
physically abusive in the park's visitor center, pushed the on-duty
protection supervisor in the chest, and made death threats against him.
Rangers again arrested E.L. on January 12th, when he became verbally
abusive to two rangers who were following him at a distance, on February
9th, when he attempted to punch a ranger in the face, and on March 9th, when
he entered a closed area and attacked the same ranger he'd tried to hit
during his previous arrest. E.L. was charged with three counts of
disorderly conduct, two counts of interfering with agency functions, one
count of vandalism, and one count of assault on a federal officer. On June
1st, E.L. was tried and found guilty on all three disorderly counts, one
interference count, and one count of simple assault. He was sentenced to
seven months' commitment to the state mental hospital in Norristown,
Pennsylvania, and was barred from the park for two years. [Michael Dumene,
INDE, 6/6]
[More pending incident reports tomorrow...]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level I
2) LARGE FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 6/6 6/7 Status
CA USFS Sequoia * James - 390 CND
AZ USFS Coronado Miller 2,210 2,840 CN 6/7
Tonto Dagger 400 400 CND
Prescott * Hassayampa - 125 CN 6/7
BLM Phoenix * Union - 200 CND
State - * Reserve - 4,000 CND
NM USFS Gila Mule 3,300 3,450 CN 6/8
State - Radio 100 100 CN 6/7
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 - Containment strategy NEC - No estimate of containment
CND - Contained CN (date) - Expected date of containment
3) FIRES YESTERDAY (BY AGENCY) -
NPS BIA BLM FWS States USFS Total
Number 2 5 6 0 121 14 148
Acres Burned 0 9 119 0 5,281 1,119 6,528
5) COMMITTED RESOURCES -
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Federal 62 37 23 4 101
Non-federal 9 4 0 0 5
6) CURRENT SITUATION - Large fires continued to break out in the Southwest
yesterday, but significant progress was made toward containment of most of
them. There was little activity in any other area of the country.
7) OUTLOOK - Fire activity is expected to continue in the Southwest.
[NIFCC Incident Management Situation Report, 6/7]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No field reports today.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
No notes.
MEMORANDA
No memoranda.
Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities
Telephone: 202-208-4874
Telefax: 202-208-6756
cc:Mail: WASO Ranger Activities
SkyPager: Emergencies ONLY: 1-800-759-7243, PIN 2404843