Buffalo National River (AR)
Rescue of Seriously Injured Man
On the afternoon of Monday, May 19th, 19-year-old K.L. of
Waterloo, Iowa, fell from a 40 foot bluff located near Horseshoe Bend in
the park's Upper District. Rangers, Newton County deputies, first
responders, and air evac responded to the emergency call. They located
K.L. and found that he had landed on his back, was unconscious, and
had sustained severe head trauma. He was air lifted to the Springdale,
Arkansas, hospital, where he is listed in critical condition. He is
currently still unconscious and on life support. Alcohol may have been a
contributing factor to the accident. Rangers are still investigating the
cause of the incident.
[Submitted by Chief Rangers Office]
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (AZ)
Rangers Seize 25 Backpacks of Marijuana
Earlier this week, rangers discovered evidence of drug smugglers
who'd entered the country on foot in a remote area of the park. The
backpackers were tracked cross-country for about eight miles to a spot
where they were found resting on top of a ridgeline. With the assistance
of the crew from an Arizona National Guard helicopter, they took five
smugglers into custody at gunpoint; another twenty fled on foot,
including one woman. Rangers seized 25 backpacks containing more than a
half ton of marijuana. The smugglers were armed with knives and later
admitted to having been paid between $700 and $1,500 to deliver the
load. Evidence at the scene indicated that they were using light bulbs
and small propane burners to make methamphetamine for their use. Other
items found at the scene include binoculars and two-way radios. The case
and evidence were transferred to Customs.
[Submitted by Fred Patton,
Chief Ranger]
Saguaro National Park (AZ)
Fatal Motorcycle Accident
A 42-year-old male motorcyclist traveling west on Picture Rocks Road
around midnight on Friday, May 16th, failed to negotiate a curve on the
two-lane road, slid through some desert vegetation, and struck a palo
verde tree. He died at the scene. Alcohol and excessive speed are
thought to have been contributing factors. The Pima County Sheriffs
Department and NPS are investigating the incident. A second motorcyclist
was arrested for DUI. During the subsequent field investigation, an
unrelated vehicle drove through traffic cones placed to protect the
scene. The female driver was eventually stopped before injuring anyone
or causing any property damage. She too was arrested for DUI.
[Submitted by Bob Love, Chief Ranger]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
National Interagency Fire Center
NIFC Situation Report - Thursday, May 22, 2003
The Morning Report is being posted early today, so the NIFC Situation Report is not available. Situation reports will resume on Friday.
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Saint Croix National Scenic River (WI)
Tribute to Acadia Ranger Killed in 1938
On Tuesday May 13th, St. Croix NSR rangers Keith Nelson, Brett Oberg and Rod Turner visited the grave of slain NPS ranger Karl Andrew Jacobson (aged 22) to lay a wreath in association with Peace Officers Memorial Week.
Ranger Jacobson, who is buried in Eagle Lake, Minnesota, was shot and killed by a poacher on November 13, 1938 while on boundary patrol in Acadia NP. The elderly poacher, who pled guilty and served one day in prison, mistook Jacobson, who was accompanied by his wife while on patrol, for a deer.
Ranger Jacobson's name was added to the National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial in 1989 through the efforts of the NPS chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police. He is also listed on the state of Maine Law Enforcement Memorial.
Ranger Jacobson, who was survived by his wife of six months, is buried in the Eagle Lake Cemetery (Block 61, Section 4, at the north end of the cemetery) just east of Mankato, Minnesota.
From all accounts Ranger Jacobson was well liked and respected, and an active member of the Bar Harbor community. His untimely death was a loss not only to Acadia NP and the NPS community, but to his friends and family in Bar Harbor and Eagle Lake.
[Submitted by Chief Rangers, St. Croix NSR and Acadia NP]
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.