NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

BLACKBERRY EDITION

Monday, August 8, 2005

INCIDENTS

Rocky Mountain NP

Body of Missing Ranger Found

The body of ranger Jeff Christensen was found by a group of hikers early on Saturday afternoon near Spectacle Lakes in the remote and rugged Mummy Range. The park continues its investigation, but it appears at this time that he died from a fall. Christensen's parents, D. and C., have released the following statement.   

"We would like to express our deepest thanks and gratitude to all of those who have helped us during this trying time. We would especially like to thank the following groups and people:

The staff at Rocky Mountain National Park and other National Park Service staff who made us feel like a part of their family

The Incident Management Team, family liaisons, Winter Park Ski personnel, and the dedicated searchers who were second to none in their search efforts and risked their own safety to find Jeff

The town of Estes Park for welcoming us into their community

The hikers who found Jeff

All the park visitors who expressed their thoughts and prayers to us.”

The Christensens also shared the following statement that Jeff had once made to a friend:

"You know, if I ever die while at work in the mountains, do not cry for me because you will know that I died doing what I love. But if I die in a car accident on my way to an office job, then cry for me because you will know I was miserable and not doing what I loved.”

All employees are authorized to wear black mourning bands laterally across their badges from now until the date of interment. Those employees who wear uniforms that do not have badges or who are in civilian clothes may wear suitable black mourning ribbons. Parks and offices in Intermountain Region are authorized to lower their flags to half-staff in Jeff's memory until his memorial service on Wednesday. [Scott Sticha, Information Officer, ROMO, with additional information from WASO]

Denali NP

Two People Die in Small Airplane Crash

R.A., 65, and C.P., 65, both from the Long Beach, California area, died on Friday, August 5th, when the single engine Beech Bonanza they were flying crashed in the park at the 5,300 foot elevation on the ridge dividing the Riley Creek and Little Windy Creek drainages, approximately 15 miles southwest of the park headquarters. According to witness statements, the accident is believed to have occurred shortly before noon. The National Park Service was notified of a possible downed aircraft in the park at approximately 2:30 p.m. by Alaska State Troopers, who had been given information by the US Air Force 11th Resource Coordination Center (RCC) in Anchorage. Early reports of the accident had the site on the Eldridge Glacier, which is south of the Alaska Range, but additional information was developed from witnesses which put the accident site to the northeast in the Riley/Windy Creek area inside the park wilderness. RCC dispatched a Pavehawk helicopter from the 210th Air Rescue Squadron with pararescue personnel from the 212th Air Rescue Squadron aboard to the reported crash site. At 4:00 p.m., the park was notified that pararescue personnel had reached the scene and confirmed that both of the plane's occupants had perished. Their remains were transported by the Pavehawk helicopter to the Kulis Air National Guard Base in Anchorage. The pair was flying the private plane from Fairbanks to Anchorage as part of a guided aviation excursion consisting of nine aircraft. Four planes were flying together at the time of the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration are expected to arrive in the park today to conduct an investigation of the crash site. Park rangers will also fly into the site on Monday to assist with the accident investigation. A plan to remove the plane is being developed. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Specialist]

Grand Teton NP

Rangers Conduct Three Significant Rescue Operations In One Day

Rangers responded to three backcountry emergencies on Saturday, August 6th. With the assistance of the Teton interagency contract helicopter, rangers flew a severely ill backpacker from Upper Paintbrush Canyon on Saturday morning at 8:20 a.m. Almost three hours later, at approximately 11:15 a.m., rangers evacuated an injured climber from Mount Moran, also by helicopter. Then, beginning around 5:00 p.m. on Saturday evening, rangers conducted a third rescue - this time using a wheeled litter - near the Phelps Lake Overlook in Death Canyon:

The Paintbrush Canyon rescue began on the night of Friday, August 5th. S.W., 21, of Baltimore, Maryland, became extremely ill due to the combined effects of altitude, heat and severe dehydration while backpacking with three companions in Upper Paintbrush Canyon. One of these companions, Carolyn Hopkins, a Grand Teton Lodge Company employee, contacted Teton Interagency Dispatch at about 10:00 p.m. on Friday night after S.W.'s condition deteriorated to a point where she was too weak and ill to continue. Rangers advised the party of first aid techniques they could perform to re-hydrate S.W., but her condition became steadily worse. Two rangers hiked to her location late that night and provided advanced emergency medical assistance. When S.W.'s condition did not improve substantially by morning, rangers asked the Teton interagency contract helicopter to respond and fly her to the valley. The helicopter arrived on-scene at a temporary staging area near Holly Lake around 8:00 a.m., and rangers situated S.W. inside for evacuation. A park ambulance met the helicopter at Lupine Meadows and transported S.W. to St. John's Medical Center.

Later Saturday morning, 49-year-old J.P., of Idaho Falls, Idaho, and three other climbers were ascending the CMC Route - a popular climbing route on the east face of Mount Moran, rated 5.5 - when J.P. was struck on the head by a sizable rock that was dislodged by climbers above. The rock broke J.P.'s helmet and he sustained injuries to his head and neck. The party was on the first pitch of the climb and had reached an elevation of about 11,500 feet when the accident occurred. Steve Bohrer, also from Idaho Falls and one of J.P.'s climbing partners, called for help via cell phone at 9:15 a.m. Rangers immediately began to coordinate a rescue, while the group of climbers moved J.P. to a more secure area out of the way of further rockfall until rangers could reach them. Due to the nature of J.P.'s injuries, his disoriented state of consciousness and the group's remote location, rangers asked for an assist from the interagency helicopter. The helicopter flew four rangers to a staging area on the Falling Ice Glacier, then inserted one of these rangers to J.P.'s location using the short-haul method. This ranger loaded J.P. into an evacuation suit and attended him while the two were short-hauled back to the staging area at the glacier. Rescue personnel at the glacier moved J.P. inside the helicopter for the flight to Lupine Meadows, where a park ambulance was waiting to transport him to St. John's Medical Center in Jackson. From there, J.P. was flown by air ambulance to Idaho Falls for treatment of his head injuries. While J.P. sustained serious injuries, his use of a helmet, combined with a rapid evacuation, likely saved his life.

At 5:10 p.m. rangers received the third call for assistance, this time from Death Canyon near the Phelps Lake Overlook. J.M., 55, of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, was suffering from heat-related illness and dehydration and was experiencing intense cramping on the switchbacks about 200 yards below the overlook. ='s symptoms were so severe that he was unable to walk on his own. A backcountry ranger on routine patrol in Death Canyon encountered J.M. and called for assistance. Two rangers drove the ambulance to the trailhead and ran to J.M.'s location to provide emergency medical assistance. Dr. Will Smith of Jackson, Wyoming, the park's medical director, supplied advice and consultation by phone, as he had during the previous two rescues. Three more rangers were immediately dispatched to the trailhead; they quickly reached J.M. and transported him to the trailhead using a wheeled litter. The waiting park ambulance took J.M. to St. John's Medical Center at 6:50 p.m.

The two helicopter evacuations mark the eleventh and twelfth major search and rescues in Grand Teton National Park this year. [Jackie Skaggs, Public Affairs Specialist]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

NIFC remains at PL 3. Thirteen new large fires were reported yesterday; another six large fires were contained. Sixteen states report very high to extreme fire indices.

Individual fire entries for today for the National Park Service can be obtained at HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/fire/news" http://www.nps.gov/fire/news . The full NIFC Incident Management Situation Report for today can be obtained at HYPERLINK "http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf" http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Nothing today.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

NPS Law Enforcement Training Center

Greg Jackson Named Program Manager for Basic LE Program

The National Park Service Law Enforcement Training Center at FLETC is pleased to announce the selection of supervisory park ranger Greg Jackson as the new program manager for the NPS Basic Law Enforcement Training Program. Greg is currently detailed to the Department of Homeland Security at FLETC as an instructor in the Practical Applications Branch. During his tenure at FLETC, Greg has contributed to several significant changes in the curriculum for NPS students, and those of other agencies. Prior to his service at FLETC, Greg was the branch chief for visitor services and acting chief ranger at Bryce Canyon National Park. His previous service includes experience as a federal air marshal, as a district ranger at Santa Monica Mountains NRA, and as a ranger at Lake Mead NRA and Yosemite NP. Greg can be reached at his new office in Building 64, Room 211, at 912-267-2245. [Don Usher, Superintendent]

Intermountain Region

Denny Sutherland Selected As Regional Structural FMO

Denny Sutherland has been selected to serve as Intermountain Region's structural fire management officer, filling the vacancy created by George Bergen's return to the Department of Defense in December of 2004. Denny is currently serving as the structural fire management officer for the Alaska Region in Anchorage, where he has been stationed since 2002. Prior to his current position, Denny served as the structural fire chief at Yellowstone National Park for 15 years and has also served in a variety of structural fire positions with the Department of Defense and local fire departments since the mid 1970's. Denny is also qualified in a variety of positions in the wildland fire community, including T2 safety officer, T1 division group supervisor and T1 logistics chief. In his present position, Denny also serves as a member of the NPS Structural Fire Advisory Group and is an incident commander and operations section chief on the Alaska Region T2 incident management team. Denny and his wife Ellen will be relocating to the Denver area in late October. [Kevin FitzGerald, Chief Ranger, Intermountain Region]

Sequoia and Kings Canyon NPs

Bill Kaage Moves to PWRO To Become Deputy Regional FMO

After nine years as the fire management officer for Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, William Kaage will become the deputy regional fire management officer for the Pacific West Region. Because of his leadership, the fire program at Sequoia-Kings Canyon has been breaking new ground, maintaining past successes, and shaping policy beyond park boundaries and across land management agencies. Kaage arrived in Three Rivers with his wife and two daughters in the summer of 1996 after leaving his job as the FMO for Everglades National Park. "I got here during a busy fire season with lots of controversy,” said Kaage. "It was a tough situation to walk into, but it helped me develop a vision for the future of the program.” From that difficult beginning, Kaage's vision and actions focused on building a truly integrated fire and fuels management program based on resource objectives, park goals, and team work. Building on accomplishments that started in the late 1960s, Kaage's fire program ignited approximately 17,000 acres of prescribed burning and managed 23,600 acres of lightning-caused fires over nine years. In addition to his operational experience, Kaage has been an innovative, forward-thinking manager. He was never afraid to brainstorm new ideas or challenge his staff and peers to think outside the box. He supported and planned exciting fire research projects, served as the chair of the southern Sierra fire management officers, guided a new landscape treatment analysis process, and spearheaded the interagency Southern Sierra Geographic Information Cooperative (SSGIC), which has become one of four fire program analysis (FPA) prototype areas in the country. [Jody Lyle, SEKI]

JOBS

Jean Lafitte NHP&P

GS-025-9 Park Ranger (LE)

Jean Lafitte is accepting applications for a lateral reassignment to a permanent full-time GS09 protection ranger position. This is a 6(c) position and requires a Level 1 commission. The ranger selected will engage in a full range of protection duties, including airboat/powerboat operations, enforcing hunting (waterfowl, small and large game) and trapping programs, resource management monitoring, special events, EMS and traffic enforcement. The candidate will find a supportive and positive team working environment, and strong training and growth opportunities. Jean Lafitte is located in the greater New Orleans area and offers the full range of services and recreational and educational opportunities. Inquiries should be directed to Leigh Zahm, supervisory park ranger, at 504-589-2330 x 17. [Leigh Zahm]

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Prepared by Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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