NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Thursday, July 20, 1995

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

95-434 - Mount Rainier (Washington) - Search in Progress

A search is in progress for 39-year-old R.F., who disappeared in the park
on July 17th.  R.F. was involved in a single vehicle accident in the park that
morning.  After the investigation was completed and her vehicle was pulled out
of a ditch, she continued on her way.  Several hours later, the vehicle was
found in a picnic area parking lot with the engine running and the driver's
door open.  Rangers found a broken drinking glass and blood spatters in the
nearby restroom.  They searched the area, but found no sign of her. 
Investigation revealed that R.F. had not been taking prescribed medicine, that
she was depressed, paranoid, and suicidal, and that she'd tried to take her
life at a relative's home that morning.  Searchers have so far found no
physical evidence, but two visitors reported seeing someone meeting her
description at locations near the search site.  [Bill Larson, MORA]

95-435 - Great Sand Dunes (Colorado) - Two Rescues

Just after noon on July 8th, rangers were notified that backpacker M.S.
was severely hypoglycemic and also suffering from food poisoning received
from eating food contaminated with butane gas.  Rangers responded on horseback
and foot; one ranger ran four miles cross-country to evaluate her condition. 
M.S. was taken by horse to a park ambulance at a fire road terminus, then
brought to a hospital where she was treated for dehydration and hypoglycemia. 
At 3 a.m. the following morning, the park received a report that a group of ten
backpackers from M.S.'s party was on the west side of the dune field and
suffering from a lack of food and water.  Rangers and a local SAR team member
responded and found six members of the group on the western edge of the dunes
about four hours later.  Another ranger, later assisted by an aircraft,
searched the area south of the dunes on horseback for the remaining members of
the group.  Two of them were found on the Medano Pass primitive road on the
east side of the monument; the remaining pair walked 12 miles during the night
to a private campground south of the monument.  All group members were
suffering from dehydration.  [Kent Kleman, GRSA]

95-436 - Little River Canyon (Alabama) - Rescue

M.G. of Fort Payne was swimming with friends in a pool below Little
River Falls on July 18th when he dove off a rock outcropping and struck his
head on a submerged rock.  Rescue teams used high angle rescue techniques to
evacuate M.G..  He was taken to a hospital for treatment and observation. 
Alcohol is believed to have been a contributing factor.  [Dwight Dixon, CR,
LIRI]

FIRE ACTIVITY

The fire report was not available at transmission time this morning.

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Olympic (Washington) - Cougar Encounters

A crew monitoring spotted owl activity in the park had an encounter with a
cougar in June - one of four cougar-human encounters reported in the park so
far this year.  This, however, was the only one of the four which came close to
being an attack.  The cat was first seen about ten feet from the spot where
crew members were siting.  They faced the animal down for about 15 minutes
before leaving; when they attempted to retrieve their backpacks, however, it
hissed and showed its teeth, so they backed out of the area without them.  When
crew members returned the next day, they found shredded pieces of their packs
and personal items strewn around the area.  While gathering up their things,
the cougar reappeared and stood about 150 feet away, watching them.  As they
slowly retreated, it followed until the crew members came to a cliff and could
not continue downslope.  The cougar then stood and watched them for 20 to 30
minutes while they waved sticks and shirts and yelled at it.  It finally backed
away, and they continued their descent.  [Bruce Moorhead, OLYM]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No notes.

MEMORANDA

No memoranda.

OBSERVATIONS

The following quote was sent in by quite a few folks, most recently by Janis
Burger at Olympic.  It's popularity is understandable:

"If we are going to succeed in preserving the greatness of the national parks,
they must be held inviolate.  They represent the last stand of primitive
America.  If we are going to whittle away at them we should recognize, at the
very beginning, that all such whittlings are cumulative and that the end result
will be mediocrity.  Greatness will be gone." 

                                                Newton B. Drury
                                                Director, 1940-1951

[Do you have a favorite quote about the NPS?  If so, send it along for possible
inclusion in a future Morning Report.  If you'd like a WP5.1 copy of quotes
that have appeared to date, send a note to this address]

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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