02-585
Natchez Trace Parkway (AL,MS,TN)
Follow-up on Death of Ranger
Ranger Jermaine Dossie, 22, passed away in the early morning hours of
November 13, apparently of natural causes. He was hired by the park last
June through the student career experience program. Jermaine graduated
with a BA in criminal justice from Jackson State University in August,
2001, and from the law enforcement academy at Colorado Northwestern
Community College this past September. He was enrolled in a criminal
justice graduate degree program at Jackson State at the time of his
death. A memorial service was held for him on Friday at the Anderson
United Methodist Church in Jackson, Mississippi; the funeral and
interment were to have been held in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday.
[Submitted by Charles Cuvelier, District Ranger, Ridgeland
District]
02-591
Yosemite National Park (CA)
Two Missing Backpackers Found and Rescued
On November 13, park searchers found two overdue backpackers after
spotting them by helicopter. T.S., 35, and C.H., 36, both
of Sherwood, Oregon, had obtained a wilderness permit and started their
hike on November 4 and were to have completed it by November 8. On
November 12, family members contacted the park and reported that Hoffman
and T.S. had not yet returned home. Rangers found their car in the
Yosemite Valley wilderness parking lot that night, and a search
employing trackers and helicopters was begun the next morning. Around
noon, the crew of a contract helicopter spotted an "SOS" that the pair
had made in the snow and some tarps that they'd laid out to increase
their visibility to searchers. Both were tired but otherwise fine. They
reported that they'd hiked into the Clark Range in the southeastern
section of the park and had been caught in the first winter storm of the
year. They endured ferocious conditions that brought snow, rain, high
winds, and poor visibility. Although they were well equipped and had
considerable survival skills, including training in survival in adverse
conditions, they became more and more worried as time passed. They began
rationing their food and were planning to try to hike out when they
heard the helicopters overhead. "We are so thankful and appreciate
everything everyone did to find us," T.S. and C.H. both said. "We
are very happy to find them alive and well," said ranger Ron Hamann, who
was IC for the operation. "Its great to have a successful search."
[Submitted by Public Affairs]
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.