NPS Morning Report - Monday, April 15, 2002



                           NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                              MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Monday, April 15, 2002

INCIDENTS

02-105 - Wrangell-St. Elias NP&P (AK) - Two Climbers Killed, Two More
Rescued

On Thursday, April 4th, A.M., J.G., G.V.D., and
R.S. began an attempt to summit Mount St. Elias, then ski and
snowboard down the Tyndall Glacier. They were dropped off at Hayden Col on
April 5th by Paul Claus, owner of Ultima Thule Outfitters, and expedition
outfitter. On the 10th, Claus contacted deputy superintendent Hunter Sharp
by cell phone. He reported that he'd flown back to the area that morning to
check on the climbers' progress and had seen a message in the snow that
said 'two dead.' Claus spotted the two surviving climbers stranded around
the 14,500-foot level of the col. The NPS notified the Alaska rescue
coordination center, and they dispatched an HC-130 Hercules rescue tanker
and an HH-60 Pavehawk from the Air National Guard's 210th Mountain Air
Rescue group to the scene. They rescued J.G. and G.V.D. and flew
them to Providence Hospital in Anchorage. J.G. told rangers that he,
A.M. and R.S. had reached the summit of Mount St. Elias on the
afternoon of Tuesday, April 9th. G.V.D. was suffering from frostbite
on his hands, so had decided to remain at their camp at 14,500 feet. J.G.
started his descent first; A.M. and R.S. followed on skis. J.G. saw
A.M. fall about 4,000 feet and disappear. He then called out for R.S.,
but was unable to contact or find him. J.G. bivouacked at 16,000 feet
that night and continued to look for R.S. on Wednesday morning. After
seeing no sign of R.S., J.G. made the descent to the 14,500-foot camp
Wednesday morning to meet up with Van Dorsten and stamp out the message for
help. Claus was able to return to the scene of the accident during a break
in the weather on April 12th and spotted one body about 3,000 feet below
the summit of Mount St. Elias. He also saw gear and skis scattered along
the fall line. Claus reported the discovery to the NPS. Efforts to recover
the body are being considered, but it's not yet been determined whether
this will be possible. The area is heavily crevassed on an exposed and
extreme slope around 16,000 feet. [Jane Tranel, WRST, 4/12]

02-106 - Yosemite NP (CA) - Confrontation; Attempted Suicide, Life Saved

On April 10th, Yosemite dispatch was notified by the Mariposa Sheriff's
Office that W.W. was probably on his way to a friend's apartment
in the Rancheria Flat NPS housing area within the El Portal administrative
area. W.W., a former El Portal resident, was reported to be suicidal, and
was known to have attempted suicide in the past. El Portal ranger Dave
Horne went to the apartment to see if W.W. had showed up. Horne spoke to
the resident of the apartment and found that W.W. had been there and
tried to get a gun from him, but had not obtained one. W.W. became angry,
threatened the resident, and then left. Horne searched the area and found
W.W.'s truck parked on a utility road leading out of the housing area.
The park's special response team (SRT) and Mariposa deputies were
dispatched. A perimeter was set up and the area around W.W.'s vehicle was
searched. W.W. was located in some rocks on the slope above the housing
area about 250 feet from his vehicle. W.W. immediately said that he had
injected air into his veins and was waiting to have a heart attack. He had
a small syringe in his hand and there was blood on his arm. W.W. said he
was not going to surrender and the officers would have to shoot him if he
did not have a heart attack. As SRT members Horne, Steve Yu, Jeff Sullivan,
and sheriff's sergeant Doug Binnewies were working their way closer to
W.W., he stuck the syringe into the side of his neck up to the base of
the needle, but did not depress the plunger. The officer's continued to
talk with him as they moved closer. When they were near W.W., Binnewies
distracted him and Horne grabbed his hands, pulling the needle out. The
other three officers overpowered him and placed him in custody. W.W. was
transported by ambulance to a mental health facility for evaluation. State
criminal charges are being filed by the sheriff's office. [Jeff Sullivan,
SSA, YOSE, 4/11]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Situation

Preparedness Level 1

The last situation report issued was on Friday and was for the previous
day. There was no significant initial attack activity on Thursday. The
Middle Fire in the Gila NF was fully contained at 37,600 acres; management
of the Number One Island Fire by a fire use management team continued in
Okefenokee NWR. Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona,
California, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

National Resource Status

                  Sun   Mon   Tue   Wed   Thu   Fri   Sat
Date              4/7   4/8   4/9   4/10  4/11  4/12  4/13

Crews             24    21    34    27    16    **    **
Engines           25    35    24    35    17    **    **
Helicopters       8     9     7     3     5     **    **
Air Tankers       0     0     0     0     0     **    **
Overhead          283   260   245   174   143   **    **

** = No reports

Park Fire Situation

No significant fire activity reported.

Park Fire Danger

Extreme - N/A
Very High - N/A
High - Hawaii Volcanoes NP, Everglades NP, Indiana Dunes NL

[NPS Situation Summary Report, 4/12; NPS Situation Summary Report, 4/14]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Washington Office (DC) ? Dick Ring, associate director for park operations
and education, has asked Karen Taylor-Goodrich, currently assistant
superintendent in National Capital Parks - East in Washington, DC, to
succeed Vaughn Baker on a four-month detail as his deputy, effective April
29th. Prior to becoming assistant superintendent in NCP, Taylor-Goodrich
served in field and program management positions at Yosemite, Grand Canyon,
Cumberland Island and Lake Roosevelt. She's had experience in a diverse
array of programs, including resource and visitor protection; natural and
cultural resource management; interpretation, education and visitor
services; planning and environmental compliance; fee management; wilderness
and backcountry management; and fire management. She's also served as a
plans chief on an interagency Type ! team for over five years.
Taylor-Goodrich is a graduate of DOI's team leadership program (2000-2001)
and the NPS natural resource management training program (1990-1991). Her
international work experience includes assignments as a caseworker with the
State Department's Indochinese resettlement program (Cambodian section) in
Thailand and a tour as a park ranger with the National Parks and Wildlife
Service at Kosciusko NP in New South Wales, Australia.  She can be reached
at 202-208-3277, effective April 29th. [Dick Ring, WASO]

Petrified Forest NP (AZ) - The park currently has an announcement on USA
Jobs for a GS-9 protection ranger. The announcement will be open until
April 30th. The vacancy is open to status as well as non-status employees.
If you are a seasonal protection employee with at least one year experience
at the GS 7 level, you should strongly consider applying. The position is
field-oriented, concentrating on foot, road and horse patrol of park
resource areas, both front and backcountry. The park has a structural fire
program, and the opportunity for receiving training in this area is high.
The position is required occupancy. If you have questions please contact
assistant chief ranger Greg Caffey at 928-524-6822. [Greg Caffey, PEFO]

Mesa Verde NP (CO) - Earlier this year, rangers partnered with the Mesa
Verde Museum Association, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, and the San
Juan Basin Technical School for, respectively, funding, design and
fabrication of a cage-type bear trap with a "safety" swinging door. The
park's old trap was a guillotine culvert-type trap, which was potentially
dangerous to both man and bear. The project was so successful that the
students who constructed it - Mathew Toms and Clint Rhodes - entered it in
the Four States Agricultural Exposition. The trap was awarded the first
place blue ribbon in the specialty trailers division of the agricultural
mechanics section. [Charlie Peterson, MEVE]

                               *  *  *  *  *

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

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