- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Monday, July 11, 1994
- Date: Mon, 11 Jul 1994
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Monday, July 11, 1994
Broadcast: By 0930 ET
INCIDENTS
94-105 - Big Bend (Texas) - Follow-up on Assault on Ranger
H.A., Jr., of Terlingua, Texas, has been convicted of felony
assault on ranger Connie Cox and sentenced to six months in federal prison
and a year's supervised probation. Cox was on patrol on a weekend early in
March when she came upon a road construction project. H.A., who was a
flagman for the project, had stopped traffic in such a way as to prevent
access to one of the park's major trailhead lots during one of the busiest
weekends of the year. Cox stopped to talk to H.A., who almost immediately
became very argumentative, sticking the antenna from his radio in Cox's face
and telling her that he "didn't have to take this" and that she should talk
to his supervisor. The flagman continued to stick his radio antenna in
Cox's face and verbally abuse her after she exited her vehicle to seek out
the supervisor. As Cox reached up to push the radio away from her face, the
flagman attacked, shoving her against the patrol car and grabbing her by the
throat with both hands. The flagman continued to choke Cox until confronted
by several park visitors. He was subsequently arrested and charged with
assault on a federal officer and interfering with an agency function by
failing to obey a lawful command. [CRO, BIBE, 7/6]
94-335 - Rocky Mountain (Colorado) - Follow-up on Helicopter Crash
The Office of Aircraft Safety has concluded its investigation into the crash
of an Orion Helicopters Bell 206 B-III in the park on the evening of June
25th. The helicopter was taking two passengers to a location at the 12,450-
foot level of Halletts Peak to participate in the rescue of an injured
climber. Weather at the site was clear and winds were calm. During the
attempted landing, the pilot lost directional control of the aircraft; it
began spinning clockwise to the right and eventually struck the ground and
came to rest on its right side. The pilot and passengers got out safely,
but fire was observed coming from the engine's exhaust stacks and fuel was
seen streaming out of a vent in the bottom of the fuselage. The pilot put
the fire out by employing the aircraft's fire extinguisher and by stuffing
fiberglass insulation into the stacks to smother the flames. A passenger
plugged the fuel leak by pushing foam ear plugs into the fuel vent opening.
A medical helicopter arrived on scene within a few minutes. All personnel
were examined on site and released. [Kris Holien, ROMO, 7/6]
94-350 - Yellowstone (Wyoming) - Follow-up on Employee Death
Although an investigation into the death of backcountry ranger Ryan Weltman,
22, is still underway, investigators believe that he capsized in rough
conditions caused by high winds and died from hypothermia-related drowning
despite wearing a life jacket. A memorial service attended by 150 friends
was held for him at the Lake ranger station on July 7th. Ryan was
remembered by the chief ranger as the epitome of "a bright-eyed, bushy-
tailed young ranger who was eager to learn and improve", and by a former
supervisor as "my brightest shining star." Yellowstone rangers and Ryan's
family greatly appreciate the expressions of support and sympathy received
from around the Service, and particularly appreciate the assistance of Grand
Teton rangers Don Coelho and Martha Lyon, who conducted a series of critical
incident stress debriefings for park personnel involved in the incident.
[Mike Murray, ACR, YELL, 7/8]
94-365 - Monocacy (Maryland) - Homicide
On July 2nd, Frederick County deputies found the bodies of H.A.K.,
76, and R.J.K., 64, buried under gravel in a shed in a
remote section of the park. The tract where the bodies were found is a
seven acre parcel with a single family home which the park maintains as a
scenic easement. The K.s had been dead for ten to twelve days when
found and had died from gunshot wounds from a small caliber firearm. A
warrant has been issued for B.W."G."K., 45, son of the
victims, for first degree murder and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
B.W.K. is known to have taken has parents' car, a beige 1985 Cadillac
Eldorado, Maryland PXA-963. B.W.K. is believed to be heading to the San
Antonio, Texas, area, where he previously resided. He is considered to be
armed and extremely dangerous. [Thomas Kopczyk, MONO, 7/10]
94-366 - Gettysburg (Pennsylvania) - Storm; Significant Damage
A severe storm which passed over the park on July 6th blew down the top of a
large tree onto the monument to Company F, 1st U.S. Sharpshooters, severely
damaging it. The preliminary estimate for repairing the damage is $150,000.
The monument, which was erected in 1889 and sculpted from marble from
Rutland, Vermont, was comprised of a fluted column topped by an ornate
capitol and carved eagle. Several avenues within the park were temporarily
closed due to downed limbs and trees, but no other park property was
damaged. [Mac Heebner, CR, GETT/EISE, 7/10]
94-367 - Lake Mead (Nevada/Arizona) - Boating Accident with Fatality
H.D., 34, of Las Vegas, died on July 3rd of injuries sustained in
a personal watercraft accident that occurred on Lake Mohave on the morning
of June 26th. H.D. was the first of three people riding personal
watercraft in a "follow-the-leader" game between tamarisk bushes in shallow
water along the shore in Liberty Cove on the Arizona side of the lake.
According to one of the riders, they were traveling about 35 to 40 feet
apart and running at speeds around 35 miles per hour. H.D. rode between
two bushes about a dozen feet from shore; the person following him passed
between the same bushes and struck H.D., who had apparently fallen from
his machine into the water. He was taken in critical condition to
University Medical Center, where he subsequently succumbed to his injuries.
[Bud Inman, LAME, 7/5]
94-368 - Glacier (Montana) - Rescue
On June 30th, C.S., 23, of North Liberty, Idaho, slid down both snow
and scree fields while descending from the north slope of Mt. Siyeh and
sustained significant injuries. One of his two companions hiked out to
report the incident to rangers while the other stayed with him. A
helicopter ambulance was dispatched to retrieve the pair, but was prevented
from landing by turbulence and darkness. Rangers hiked in, arriving at the
scene at 2 a.m. the following morning. C.S. was stabilized, moved to a
landing area near Siyeh Pass, then flown to a waiting ground ambulance. All
three of the hikers were St. Mary Lodge employees. [Amy Vanderbilt, PAO,
GLAC, 7/6]
94-369 - Glen Canyon (Utah/Arizona) - Diving Fatality
Around noon on July 4th, C.D., 16, a citizen of Great Britain,
dove off a cliff face at a height of 150 feet and suffered major trauma to
his head upon striking the surface of the lake. Park medics and Classic
Life Guard helicopters responded. C.D. was flown immediately to
Flagstaff Medical Center for treatment. On July 6th, C.D.'s family
decided to have him removed from life support due to the severity of his
brain injury. [Tomie Patrick Lee, CR, GLCA, 7/7]
94-370 - Glen Canyon (Utah/Arizona) - Drowning
J.J., 41, of Page, Arizona, drowned in the Coves area at Wahweap
on July 6th. J.J. was swimming with his 14-year-old son, ten-year-old
daughter and four neighborhood children when one of the neighbors, a ten-
year-old girl, tried to swim to a buoy field which was beyond her abilities.
J.J. saw that she was in trouble and attempted to swim to her rescue;
two men on shore also swam to her and were able to reach her as she was
going under and bring her to shore. No one realized J.J. was in
trouble, however, and he was not missed for some time. Rangers recovered
him from 42 feet of water about 100 feet from shore. Resuscitation efforts
were unsuccessful. [Tomie Patrick Lee, CR, GLCA, 7/7]
94-371 - Big Thicket (Texas) - Apparent Drownings
A boat which had been occupied by a 65-year-old man from Vidor, Texas, and
his female companion was found on the beach near Lake View sandbar on the
morning of July 8th. Several hours later, both their bodies were found in a
canal across the river from the sandbar. The causes for their deaths have
not been determined, but drowning is probable. Rangers and county sheriffs
are conducting the investigation. [Ron Switzer, Superintendent, BITH, 7/8]
94-372 - Jefferson National Expansion (Missouri) - Special Event
The 14th Annual Veiled Prophet Fair was held on and adjacent to the park on
the weekend from July 1st to the 4th. The United States Olympic Festival
Game's opening ceremony was held on the grounds on the evening of the 1st;
2,500 athletes took part, and there was a very large contingent of press and
spectators. Over the following three days, huge crowds came to see such
entertainers as the Beach Boys, Aretha Franklin and Travis Tritt at free
concerts. Temperatures were in the high 90s with very high humidity; 300
people were treated for heat-related problems over the weekend. The park's
staff, three Midwest Region special events teams and a North Atlantic Region
special events team managed the event under the incident command system.
Despite the size of the crowds, only 26 citations were issued and nine
arrests made. At one point, an estimated crowd of about 2,000 people were
involved in a near riot off park property. City police requested and
received assistance in dispersing the crowd from the park's horse mounted
patrol unit. [Deryl Stone, CR, JEFF, 7/6]
94-373 - Independence (Pennsylvania) - Special Event
On June 30th, the city of Philadelphia began its Fourth of July celebration
with an evening parade through the park. The "Summers Mummers" parade is
the warm weather version of a twelve-hour parade which occurs in the city
every New Years Day. About 4,000 people watched the parade from within the
park. There were no significant law enforcement or first aid incidents.
[Lee Dickinson, INDE, 7/10]
94-374 - Horseshoe Bend (Alabama) - Rescue
A search of the Tallapoosa River was begun on July 6th following the receipt
of numerous reports of boating and fishing gear floating down the river.
Three juveniles were found in a swamped boat about a quarter mile upstream
from the park. The boat was bailed out, and they were towed to the launch
ramp. There were no injuries. The boat was overloaded at the time of the
incident. [James David, Superintendent, HOBE, 7/10]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - III
2) LARGE FIRE SUMMARY
Agency Area Fire 7/8 7/11 Status
CO USFS San Juan NF Mitchell Lake - T2 150 270 CND
BLM Craig Dis. Rabbit 630 630 CND
Grand Jct. Dis. South Canyon - T1 2,430 1,856 CND
AZ USFS Prescott NF Juniper 1,800 1,800 CN 7/12
Coronado NF Rattlesnake - T1 6,057 9,739 NEC
Tonto NF East 120 120 CND
BIA San Carlos Leo 1,455 1,455 CND
FWS Buenos A. NWR * Hippy - 2,500 CND
State - Redington
Complex - T2 9,431 13,309 CN 7/11
Baboquivari 1,300 400 CND
NM NPS El Malpais NP * Tube - 237 CN 7/11
BLM Las Cruces Dis. * Goodsight Peak - 2,800 CN 7/11
* Prather - 3,000 NEC
USFS Cibola NF Big Rocks
Complex - T2 6,740 7,015 NEC
State - Van 241 241 CND
Bremmer 339 354 CND
Chimney 472 472 CND
ID USFS Challis NF * Blue Mountain - 118 CN 7/10
UT BIA Unitah & Ouray * Chandler - 150 CN 7/10
Fort Ranch - 16,000 CN 7/11
NV BLM Elko Dis. Milk Ranch 2,300 2,500 CND
Las Vegas Dis. * Oak Spring - 400 NEC
OR BLM Prineville Dis. * Maury Complex - T2 - 380 CN 7/11
* Smith Canyon - 5,000 CN 7/12
USFS Winema NF * Cole - 250 CND
State - * Spence - T2 - 1,000 CN 7/11
* China Hat - 1,000 NEC
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/CS (date) - Expected date of containment
3) FIRE NOTES -
* Two firefighters from the Park Service's Arrowhead Hotshot Crew were
injured on the Rattlesnake Fire in the Coronado National Forest near
Chiricahua NM. Bryan Baxter sustained a mild concussion when a rolling lot
struck him in the back of the head; Craig Govan was badly bruised in the leg
by a rolling rock. Both were taken to medical facilities, but returned back
to the incident camp later in the day. Govan may be return home, but Baxter
was scheduled to return to normal duties.
* The ceremony and festivities to mark the dedication of the new interagency
fire headquarters building at NIFC, scheduled for July 14th, have been
postponed, partly because of heavy fire activity and partly of the deaths of
the 14 Forest Service and BLM firefighters - a tragedy which has shaken the
entire federal fire community. The event will be rescheduled.
4) FIRES YESTERDAY -
NPS BIA BLM FWS States USFS Total
Number 2 17 13 0 81 75 188
Acres Burned 1,760 157 1,214 0 234 3,187 6,552
5) COMMITTED RESOURCES -
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Federal 127 82 46 22 1,227
Non-federal 16 35 8 3 233
6) CURRENT SITUATION - Minor initial attack activity was reported throughout
the West yesterday. Firefighters continued to have difficulty in containing
several existing large fires in the Southwest. Demobilization from fires in
the Southwest and Rockies was minimal; most crews that were released are
being staged or reassigned to new fires.
7) OUTLOOK - A dry westerly flow will dominate over the Pacific Northwest,
Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. High pressure remains over the desert
Southwest, Great Basin and California. Isolated thunderstorm activity will
be confined to eastern New Mexico, Wyoming and Colorado. Fire activity is
expected to increase in the Northwest.
[NIFCC Incident Management Situation Report, 7/11]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No field reports today.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
No notes.
MEMORANDA
No memoranda.
MEETINGS/TRAINING CALENDAR
Calendar appears in the morning report every other Monday. If you know of a
conference, meeting or training session with Servicewide interest and
implications, please forward the listing to WASO Ranger Activities. Entries
are listed no earlier than FOUR months before the event. Asterisks indicate
new entries; brackets at end of entry indicate source of information:
7/25-29* -- "Pacific Northwest Conference: Forging Preservation
Partnerships: Principles and Practice", Portland, OR.
Conference and workshops on the development and implementation
of preservation programs, emphasizing successful partnerships.
Director Kennedy will be the keynote speaker. Contact: Lisa
Burcham, 503-346-0726. [Lisa Sasser, PHAD/WASO]
7/26-28 -- Southeast Region Chief Ranger/Chief Interpreter Conference,
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. [Bill Springer, RAD/SERO]
/28-30 -- Watershed Restoration Techniques, Redwood National Park, CA.
This three-day course provides an introduction to watershed
rehab techniques, concentrating on erosion control, road removal
and watershed restoration. It is intended for professionals
working in land management agencies who have knowledge of basic
geomorphic principles. $100 fee. For registration of further
information, contact Loretta Farley at 707-465-4113 or 5668, or
via cc:Mail by name. [Loretta Farley, REDW]
8/3-6 -- Little Bighorn Legacy Program, Billings, MT. Presenters will
include members of various Indian tribes involved in the battle,
historians Paul Hutton and Alvin Josephy, authors Jerome Greene,
John McDermott, Joe Porter, Paul Hedren, Joe Marshall and Rick
Williams. Contact: Doug McChristian, Little Bighorn, 406-638-
2621.
8/9-14 -- "Saving All The Pieces", Society for Ecological Restoration
Conference, Lansing, MI. Contact: Robert Welch, 517-483-9675.
[Kathy Jope, PNRO]
8/22-25 -- "Thirty Years' Commitment to Wilderness: Planning for the
Future", 1994 Region One Wilderness Ranger Rendezvous, Spotted
Bear Ranger District, Flathead NF, MT. The goal is to "create a
welcome environment for wilderness rangers, frontliners and
field managers to learn and share in the continuing stewardship
of wilderness." Information forwarded from USFS; no contact
number provided.
8/18-21 -- 67th Pecos Conference, Mesa Verde, CO. Contact: Linda Towle at
Mesa Verde at 303-529-4510.
8/24-26 -- Watershed Restoration Techniques, Redwood National Park, CA.
This three-day course provides an introduction to watershed
rehab techniques, concentrating on erosion control, road removal
and watershed restoration. It is intended for professionals
working in land management agencies who have knowledge of basic
geomorphic principles. $100 fee. For registration of further
information, contact Loretta Farley at 707-465-4113 or 5668, or
via cc:Mail by name. [Loretta Farley, REDW]
8/28-9/3 -- "Cultures Connected: Automating Museums in the Americas and
Beyond", Renaissance Hotel, Washington, DC. Joint meeting of
the International Council of Museums Documentation Committee and
the and the Museum Computer Network; hosted by the NPS,
Smithsonian Institution and National Gallery of Art.
Discussions and workshops will include information sharing, data
structure and terminology, multimedia, imaging, Internet, public
policy, technology and culture, and more. Contact: Joan
Bacharach, 202-343-8140. [Joan Bacharach, CSC/WASO]
8/29-31 -- Sustaining Rangeland Ecosystems, La Grande, OR. Contact: John
Tanaka, 503-963-7122. [Kathy Jope, PNRO]
8/30-9/1 -- Universal Access to Backcountry/Primitive Recreation Areas. The
training course will employ St. Croix NSR as the classroom to
train employees on ways to better meet the needs of disabled
visitors in outdoor recreation areas. Look for the current NPS
training announcement. Contact: Kay Ellis, 202-343-3674. [Kay
Ellis, Office of Accessibility, WASO]
9/10-12 -- Second Annual Meeting, Central Division Working Group, Declining
Amphibian Populations Task Force, Bailly Training Center,
Indiana Dunes NL, IN. Papers given on the first two days will
include a wide range of topics related to amphibians; a
discussion on methods for establishing amphibian censuses will
take place during the session on the 12th. Contact: Registration
- Dr. Michael J. Lannoo, 712-337-3669; information - Dr. Ralph
Grundel, INDU, 219-926-7561. [Gary Sullivan, MWRO]
9/11-16 -- Managerial Grid, Phase I, and Managerial Grid Instructor
Preparation Seminar, Richmond, VA. Sponsored by ANPR. An NPS
course announcement will be out shortly. Contact: Debbie
Gorman, 518-793-3140. [Bill Wade, SHEN]
9/19-23 -- "Retrofitting for Accessibility: A Course for Maintenance
Personnel", Bradford Woods, Martinsville, IN. This course,
which is directed toward facility managers and maintenance
personnel, will focus on physical access and on making our
facilities accessible to disabled visitors. Look for the
current NPS training announcement. Contact: Kay Ellis, 202-343-
3674. [Kay Ellis, Office of Accessibility, WASO]
9/21-25 -- First Annual Conference of the Wildlife Society, Albuquerque,
NM. Contact: Doug Slack, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2258.
[Steve Cinnamon, MWRO]
9/22-24 -- Watershed Restoration Techniques, Redwood National Park, CA.
This three-day course provides an introduction to watershed
rehab techniques, concentrating on erosion control, road removal
and watershed restoration. It is intended for professionals
working in land management agencies who have knowledge of basic
geomorphic principles. $100 fee. For registration of further
information, contact Loretta Farley at 707-465-4113 or 5668, or
via cc:Mail by name. [Loretta Farley, REDW]
9/26-29* -- "Revealing Visions: Reconciling the Past with the Present for
the Future", workshop, Council for American Indian
Interpretation, Albright EDC, Grand Canyon, AZ. The workshop
will focus on the current cultural and natural resource issues
affecting American Indian peoples and how to better interpret
these issues. Contact: Karen Gustin, AEDC, 602-638-2691, or
write to CAII Workshop, PO Box 344, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023.
[Karen Gustin, AEDC]
10/9-14* -- AMSAR Technical Rescue Seminar, Joshua Tree NM, CA. Contact:
American Search and Rescue Association, 619-365-3114. [Response
magazine, NASAR]
10/23-29* -- Eighth International Outdoor Recreation Conference, Colorado
Springs, CO. A wide variety of sessions on outdoor recreation
activities, vendor exhibits, and job mart. Contact: Bob McKeta,
Director, Army Outdoor Recreation, 703-325-2523 (fax 2519).
[Bob McKeta, AOR, USA]
10/28-11/4* -- Alaska Region Chief Rangers' Workshop and Training, Anchorage,
AK. Contact: Rich O'Guin, RAD/ARO. [Rich O'Guin, RAD/WASO]
Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities
Telephone: 202-208-4874
Telefax: 202-208-6756
cc:Mail: WASO Ranger Activities
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