NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Thursday, October 27, 1994

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

94-616 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - Special Event

On Saturday, October 15th, the park hosted Bridge Day, an annual event in which
one lane of the bridge is closed off so pedestrians can view fall colors and
watch BASE jumpers and rappellers parachute or rappel from the bridge.  An
estimated 200,000 people attended the event this year.  The 430 parachutists
who registered for the event made about 560 BASE jumps from the 876-foot-high
bridge; another 155 persons rappelled or climbed ropes that were up to 650 feet
long.  A 400-foot tyrolean traverse was set up on one side of the bridge and a
Canadian rescue organization led numerous traverses.  There were fewer injuries
and emergency incidents than in previous years, at least partly due to the
beautiful weather and low winds.  There were only 60 water landings, one tree
landing, and 12 injuries (seven requiring transport to local hospitals for
broken bones) associated with BASE jumping activities.  Rangers arrested three
jumpers on outstanding warrants for BASE jumping off of El Capitan in Yosemite
and for failure to appear at court.  Arrested were Gordon W. Legg, Jr., Jess
Neuger, and John C. Hoover.  [Rick Brown, DR, Canyon District, 10/19]

94-617 - Chickamauga-Chattanooga (Georgia) - ARPA Violation

On the afternoon of October 14th, park staff at the Lookout Mountain visitor
center received an anonymous telephone report of a man relic hunting at the
base of the mountain.  Investigating rangers observed W.L. of
Chattanooga using a metal detector and digging on park land and subsequently 
found a musketball and two fence staples in his possession.  These were seized
as evidence, and W.L. was released at the direction of the U.S. Attorney's
Office after leading the investigating rangers to the holes dug in the park. 
On October 18th, the U.S. Attorney's Office issued an arrest warrant for W.L.
for ARPA violations.  Prosecution is expected in the near future.  [RAD/SERO,
10/24]

94-618 - Martin Luther King (Georgia) - Stolen Vehicles Recovered

Over the last month, rangers recovered six stolen vehicles within park
boundaries.  All those recovered had a rear or vent window broken for access;
the steering columns in each had also been broken, and the cars were stripped
or being stripped. Investigating rangers discovered one individual in the
process of stripping a vehicle and tried to apprehend him, but the suspect got
away after a chase on foot.  Another suspect was apprehended and turned over to
Atlanta police.  [RAD/SERO, 10/24]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No notes.

MEMORANDA

No memoranda.

Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

Telephone: 202-208-4874
Telefax:   202-208-6756
cc:Mail:   WASO Ranger Activities
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