02-533
Alaska Region
Accidental Death of Employee and Spouse
Alaska Support Office contracting officer B.W., 60, and his
wife, D.W., 56, were killed in a traffic accident on the Seward Highway
on Saturday, October 12. They were driving south to the Kenai Peninsula
when another driver crossed into their lane and collided head-on with
their vehicle. Both Weisers died at the scene. B.W. and D.W. planned on
retiring within the month. B.W. had worked for the NPS since 1994, coming
to the agency after working for both the Air Force and British
Petroleum. D.W. worked at Health South. They are survived by their
children, grandchildren and several siblings. The funeral was on
Tuesday, October 15, at Congregation Beth Shalom in Anchorage. They were
interred later that day, also in Anchorage.
[Submitted by
John Quinley, Public Affairs Officer]
02-534
Yosemite National Park (CA)
Conviction in Assault on Rangers
On July 3, 2001, rangers were called to the Lost Arrow concession
dormitory in Yosemite Valley to deal with a fight in progress. When they
arrived, they found A.B. bleeding from a cut to his forehead, and
another man bleeding from a bottle cut to his forehead and complaining
of a bite wound to his leg. A.B. had been drinking and was loud and
belligerent. As rangers Tom Wilson and Kevin Harrison were attempting to
handcuff A.B., he spit a mouthful of blood into Wilson's face and told
the ranger that he now had hepatitis C. A.B. also kicked Harrison in
the leg multiple times. A.B. was indicted on July 12, 2001, on two
felony counts of assault on a federal officer and a single count of
assault with a deadly weapon for hitting the other man in the head with
a beer bottle. Search warrants were issued to permit the drawing of
A.B.'s blood for testing while he was in custody; grand jury subpoenas
for his medical records were served on the Arizona Department of
Corrections, where he had been tested and advised that he had hepatitis
C. The U.S. Attorney's Office made a plea offer which A.B. refused to
take. A trial date was set. On December 13, 2001, A.B. was charged in
a six count superseding indictment with the attempted murder of a
federal officer (by spitting blood in Wilson's face), attempted murder
(by biting the civilian), two counts of assault with intent to commit
murder (for assaulting Wilson by spitting and for biting the civilian),
assault on a federal officer (for kicking Harrison), and assault with a
deadly weapon (for hitting the civilian with the bottle). The U.S.
Attorney's Office then made a new plea offer. A.B. eventually agreed
to the offer and plead guilty to a single count of assault. He was
sentenced on October 3 to 57 months in prison and 36 months supervised
release and ordered to pay restitution to the civilian victim for his
significant medical expenses. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Fresno was
extremely supportive in obtaining the significant sentence in this
case.
[Submitted by Dan Horner, Special Agent]
02-535
Yosemite National Park (CA)
Rescue from El Capitan
A climbing party on the Zodiac route on El Capitan contacted the park
at 9 a.m. on October 1, advising that a solo climber on the Eagle's Way
route just east of them had been injured in a 60-foot fall. T.R.,
a 22-year-old Englishman, had sustained a serious cut and rope
burns on his hand and was asking to be rescued. The weather was cool,
with low clouds in the area. A team of 11 rescuers was flown to the top
of El Capitan in the park's contract helicopter. Rescue team member
Micah Dash was lowered 500 feet to T.R.. The pair were then lowered
800 feet to the base of the east face of El Capitan, about 1,000 feet
above the valley floor. T.R. was placed in a Stokes litter, then
short-hauled under the helicopter to El Capitan meadow. Bad weather and
a shortage of available personnel due to a simultaneous large search
hampered rescue operations.
[Submitted by Steve Yu, Shift
Supervisor/Operations Chief]
02-536
Biscayne National Park (FL)
Successful Search, Rescue of Missing Boaters
On the afternoon of Sunday, September 29, A.G. and R.M.
went fishing on the ocean side of Elliott Key in an 18-foot Sea
Craft. Winds were blowing between 15 and 20 knots at the time. Around 8
p.m., they called home, reporting that they were having engine problems
but were okay. At 10 p.m., they made a May Day call to the Coast Guard
from their cell phone, but the transmission was garbled and indicated
that they were near Key West - about 130 miles from Elliott Key. The
Coast Guard searched the keys throughout the night, but without success.
Early on Monday, The Coast Guard learned that the men had been off
Elliott Key. Rangers Randy Whitton and Tom Rutledge began a search of
the area. Rutledge found the two men around 8:30 a.m. and brought them
to Black Point Marina. A.G. was found to have a history of drug
smuggling; R.M. had an outstanding bench warrant against him and was
arrested. They reported that their boat had sunk, but the capsized craft
showed up on Friday. A.G. was called to retrieve the boat and
authorized removal by a towing company, but never showed up to reclaim
the boat and pay the towing bill. A capsized boat is a navigation hazard
to other boats and also destroys sensitive coral reefs as it bounces
along the bottom. A.G. will be cited to court to account for his
failure to retrieve the boat.
[Submitted by Holly Rife, Chief
Ranger]
02-537
Biscayne National Park (FL)
Pursuit and Arrest of Disturbed Person
On the evening of August 16, Miami Dade Metro PD asked ranger John
Bittner to assist with a mentally disturbed person who was making death
threats at Homestead Bayfront Marina adjacent to park headquarters.
Bittner pursued the 17-foot Boston Whaler when it fled from the marina
down the channel at a high rate of speed. He attempted to stop the boat,
but the operator hit the throttle, then threw himself on the deck, where
he was unable to see where he was going. The operator finally stopped,
though, and was identified as K.M., a tow boat captain
permitted to work in Biscayne NP who lived on an island adjacent to the
park. K.M. talked about being "Moby Dick" and saving sea turtles,
then jumped into the water. Bittner threw K.M. a life vest, removed
the keys from K.M.'s boat, and called a towing company to bring the
boat back to the marina. K.M. eventually climbed back in his boat and
was arrested by Miami Dade when it arrived back at the marina. K.M.
had been arrested a week earlier at his island home, where he'd been
making death threats. He was known to carry a .44 magnum pistol.
K.M., who was diagnosed as suffering from bipolar disorder, was fired
by the tow boat company and no longer lives on the island.
[Submitted by Holly Rife, Chief Ranger]
02-538
Biscayne National Park (FL)
Body Found; Investigation Underway
A fisherman reported seeing a body in the ocean 30 feet off the
boardwalk at Convoy Point on Saturday, October 5. Rangers David Pharo
and John Bittner pulled the body to shore. A hat and pair of shoes were
found neatly placed on shore near the point where the body was found,
but no identification was found on the body and there was no car left in
the parking lot. The rangers secured the potential crime scene and
summoned Miami-Dade investigators. A crime scene unit collected numerous
items from the shoreline that might be associated with the death. At
last report, the man's identity had not been determined. An analysis of
his fingerprints proved fruitless. The cause of death remains unknown,
so the death is being treated as a homicide until proven otherwise.
[Submitted by David Pharo, Law Enforcement Specialist]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Fire and Aviation Management
Southern Area Incident Management Team Applications Currently Being Accepted
Applications are currently being accepted to join the Type 1 (Red Team) or Type 2 (Blue Team) Incident Management Team in the Southern Area (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Virgin Islands). If you are interested in any position on the team, including a trainee position, then don't hesitate in looking at the requirements! The next application cycle is a full year away. The Incident Management Teams are typically called out for fire, hurricanes, floods, tornados, special events, or anything else that warrants it.
Applications are due by October 31, 2002[Submitted by Ken Garvin, ken_garvin@nps.gov, 404-562-3108 x 653] More Information...
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Point Reyes National Seashore (CA)
GS-9 Park Ranger
The park is seeking a qualified person to serve as a full performance protection ranger/boating officer. The GS-9 position is permanent full-time and is covered by 6c. The Oakland/San Francisco Bay area is a high cost of living area. The person selected will be required to occupy government housing. He/she will perform full land patrol duties, and will manage the park's marine program, overseeing the maintenance and operation of four vessels: a 12-foot aluminum skiff, an 18-foot Guardian, a 25-foot Challenger and a 27-foot SafeBoat, which is operated in a coastal marine environment. She/he will develop and maintain relationships with the Coast Guard, NMFS, NOAA, California Fish and Game, and cooperating science, resource management and enforcement agencies and interests. He/she will be responsible for the training of park vessel operators and crew members. The merit promotion announcement (PORE 02-52) has been posted and will be open until October 29. For further information, contact acting chief ranger Steve Stinnett at 415-464-5273.
[Submitted by Steve Stinnett, Acting Chief Ranger]
Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found on the left side of the front page of InsideNPS. All reports should be submitted via email to Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA, with a copy to your regional office and a copy to Dennis Burnett in Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO.
Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.