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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT BLACKBERRY EDITION Wednesday, May 17, 2006 =============================================================================================================== INCIDENTS Grand Canyon NP Multiple Illnesses Reported on River Trips On Monday, May 15th, three river concessioners reported cases of gastrointestinal illness on three separate river trips on the Colorado River within the park. Gastrointestinal illness is characterized by vomiting and/or diarrhea and is one of the most common illnesses in the United States with an estimated 23 million cases per year: The first river concessioner reported gastrointestinal illness in five of 28 passengers. The trip launched on May 13th at Lees Ferry and is expected off the river at Whitmore Wash on May 28th. The second river concessioner reported that six to seven of 15 passengers had experienced vomiting. The trip launched on May 1st and is expected off the river at Diamond Creek on May 18th. The third river concessioner reported that six of 16 passengers had gastrointestinal illness. This trip launched from Lees Ferry on May 12th and will take out at Lake Mead NRA on May 26th. A case was also reported to the National Park Service on May 5th on a commercial trip that had launched from Lees Ferry on May 1st. The trip ended at Whitmore Wash on May 10th. Five of 15 passengers were reported to have had gastrointestinal illness during the trip. The NPS and a consultant from the Public Health Service are investigating the reports. Samples were taken from the first trip that reported illnesses earlier this month. Additional samples will be taken based on these latest reports and passengers from each of the trips will be interviewed to determine if there were any commonalities or interrelated events. The park requires both commercial and noncommercial river runners to report any cases of gastrointestinal illness that occur on the river at the end of a trip. However, trip leaders are required to report gastrointestinal illness within 24 hours if three or more passengers or crew experience same during a trip. Commercial trip leaders are required to notify the concessioner as soon as possible; the concessioner then notifies the park. Noncommercial trip leaders are required to notify the National Park Service directly using any of a variety of communications methods. The regulation has proven successful in helping identify clusters of illness and the routes of transmission, thereby making it possible for the NPS and PHS to develop means to help slow down the spread of illness in the future. [Maureen Oltrogge, Public Affairs Officer] Death Valley NP Death from Heat Exposure The park received a report of a collapsed hiker on Golden Canyon trail at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, May 15th. A 63-year-old woman from Germany succumbed to heat exposure about a mile below Zabriskie Point. CPR was administered until the park's medical director declared her deceased. The Inyo County coroner will determine the exact cause of death. The air temperature at the time was 105 degrees; the ground temperature was about 130 degrees. [Nancy Wizner, Chief Ranger] Blue Ridge Parkway Successful Interagency DUI Checkpoint Rangers spearheaded two very successful DUI checkpoints near Blowing Rock, North Carolina, on Friday, May 5th, and Saturday, May 6th. Eleven intoxicated drivers were removed from the road at the checkpoints. Eight rangers joined officers from several other agencies in this operation, including the North Carolina Highway Patrol, Watauga County Sheriff's Department (with two drug dogs), Blowing Rock Police Department, Beech Mountain Police Department, and the state's BAT (Blood Alcohol Testing) Mobile, a specially outfitted motor home that houses an Intoxilyzer 500 and materials for processing arrestees. A local magistrate was on hand each night to conduct initial appearances and operated out of the BAT Mobile. Blowing Rock Fire and Rescue supplied a crash truck with floodlights. State and local officers were stationed at connecting and adjoining state roads, while rangers were positioned on the parkway and at connecting intersections. Four drug cases and twelve other violations were also detected as a result of this operation. Good planning and interagency involvement were instrumental in making this operation successful. [Brent Pennington, Highlands District Ranger] OTHER NEWS Ranger Mike Barnhart retires from CATO: HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewcommunityarticle&type=PeopleNews&id=1228" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewcommunityarticle&type=PeopleNews&id=1228 * * * * * Prepared by Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA. --- ### --- |