NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Wednesday, March 29, 2000

ALMANAC

On this date in 1806, President Thomas Jefferson approved legislation 
authorizing construction of a road from Cumberland, Maryland, to Ohio 
and appropriating $30,000 for the purpose.  Mount Washington Tavern, 
now part of Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Pennsylvania, was a 
stage station on this first federally funded highway, known as the 
National Road.

INCIDENTS

99-695 - San Juan NHS (PR) - Follow-up: Ship Grounding

The Russian freighter Sergo Zakariadze was floated off the El Morro 
breakwater at 3:15 a.m. this morning. Details will follow. [Mark 
Hardgrove, SAJU, 3/29]

00-109 - Saguaro NP (AZ) - Search and Rescue; Attempted Suicide

On March 24th, rangers received a report from a distraught family that 
their 21-year-old son had hiked into the Rincon Mountain District to 
take his own life. They said that he was upset about failed personal 
relationships, had made previous threats to shoot himself, had given 
away all his possessions, and had left a note saying that he intended 
to throw himself off a cliff in the mountains. Rangers immediately 
responded, hiking and riding horseback up the Douglas Spring trail. 
Hikers provided the man's location, and a state police helicopter flew 
ranger John Williams and a deputy to a point five miles from the 
trailhead. The man was found to have no weapons in his possession and 
was persuaded to return in the helicopter. He was taken to a local 
hospital for medical examination and later committed to a 
psychological treatment facility. This was the fourth attempted 
suicide in the district in the past year. [Bob Lineback, DR, SAGU, 
3/28]

00-110 - Golden Gate NRA (CA) - Search and Recovery; Suicide

On March 24th, park dispatch received a report of a suicidal person in 
the park and a description of his vehicle. The car was found at 
Battery 911 in Marin Headlands. Ranger and Park Police officers began 
a land search and a Coast Guard vessel coordinated an off-shore 
search. The man's body was found near the base of a 400-foot cliff and 
about 30 feet above a small cove beach. Rangers Stephen Prokop and 
Matthew Ehmann and a Coast Guard rescue swimmer reached the spot in 
one of the park's Zodiac rescue boats. They placed the victim's body 
in a rescue basket and lowered it to the beach. Prokop swam a rescue 
line attached to the basket out to the Zodiac through large surf; the 
body was then transferred to the Coast Guard. A suicide note was found 
on the body. [Richard Danielson, Operations Supervisor, GOGA, 3/28]

00-111 - Blue Ridge Parkway (NC/VA) - Suicide

The Wautauga County Sheriff's Office contacted the park on March 21st 
and notified rangers that an armed man was in the park and probably 
intended to commit suicide. He was reportedly near Price Lake in the 
Highlands District, a heavily used area. Ranger Don Reed began a 
search along with county deputies and soon found the body of Larry 
Bowman. He had died from a single gunshot wound to the head. There was 
no indication that anyone else had been involved in the shooting, but 
the investigation remains open and continuing. Reed is the case 
ranger. [John Garrison, Protection Specialist, BLRI, 3/28]

00-112 - Blue Ridge Parkway (NC/VA) - MVA with Fatality

J.D. died of injuries sustained in a single-vehicle accident near 
milepost 148 on the evening of March 19th. J.D. was the lone occupant 
of a Toyota pickup. Ranger Pete Schula is the case ranger. [John 
Garrison, Protection Specialist, BLRI, 3/28]

CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No submissions.

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

No submissions.

                             *  *  *  *  *

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address requests pertaining to receipt of the Morning Report to your 
servicing hub coordinator.  The Morning Report is also available on 
the web at http://www.nps.gov/morningreport

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

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