NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Tuesday, December 20, 1994

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

94-678 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - Search; Fatality

Early on the morning of December 14th, the body of J.R.F., 49, of
Pineville, West Virginia, was found by a park search team in a wooded area
along the New River near Thurmond.  The body was found at the base of a cliff,
and J.R.F. appeared to have died several days previously.  Initial indications
are that the victim fell approximately 150 vertical feet from a series of
cliffs directly above the point where he was found.  The investigation began on
December 8th, when rangers impounded and inventoried a vehicle which had been
parked in the area for about two weeks.  Found inside the vehicle were 101 hits
of blotter acid (LSD), a small amount of marijuana, prescription drugs, and
$2,100 in cash.  A drug dog was used and alerted on the money, indicating that
it had been stored with other drugs.  Foul play has not been ruled out, and
investigators for the National Park Service and Fayette County Sheriff's
Department are conducting a joint investigation into the death.  The body has
been sent to the state medical examiners' office in Charleston for examination. 
[Rick Brown, DR, Canyon District, NERI, 12/14]

94-679 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - Attempted Suicide

Owens Rogers, a local resident, attempted suicide by jumping 50 feet off of
Stonecliff Bridge into the New River just before 3 a.m. on December 16th. 
R., a known drug dealer, had taken rat poison, kidnapped his girlfriend,
then jumped off the bridge just as a local deputy pulled up to the scene. 
Rangers were called to assist.  Minutes later, R. made his way to the bank,
abandoning his suicide attempt, and was taken into custody.  He was committed
to a hospital later that day.  R. had been contacted by rangers four days
previously for attempting suicide from the same bridge, at which time he was
referred for counseling.  [Kinsey Shilling, SDR, Thurmond Subdistrict, NERI,
12/16]

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.

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