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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT BLACKBERRY EDITION Tuesday, May 23, 2006 =============================================================================================================== INCIDENTS Wrangell-St. Elias NP&P Climber Dies in Crevasse Fall on Mount Bona A 56-year-old California man died on the afternoon of Monday, May 17th, after a fall into a crevasse near Mount Bona, about 40 miles east of McCarthy. The man was on a guided mountaineering trip with two guides and a second client. The party was traversing the Klutlan Glacier at about the 9,700 foot elevation on snowshoes and was roped together at the time of the accident. The victim was leading, followed by a guide. According to accounts provided by the latter, the man fell through a snow bridge at about 3 p.m. and caught himself at his armpits. While the guide was taking out the slack in the line, he broke through and fell about 20 feet farther down the crevasse. The crevasse had not been seen by the climbers, and ran toward the guide, causing a pendulum effect when the victim broke through. The guide anchored the man, then began trying to contact him, but received no response. The guides called the Alaska National Guard Rescue Coordination Center by satellite phone shortly after the fall. The National Park Service was then notified by RCC. The air taxi pilot who had brought the group in was called by NPS. At about 4:15 p.m. Monday afternoon, he returned to the glacier, landed and assisted the group with the recovery. The pilot was accompanied by a doctor who was staying at Ultima Thule Lodge. After the victim was brought out of the crevasse, CPR was attempted until the doctor pronounced him dead. Based on the information provided by the guide, the state coroner determined the cause of death as "positional asphyxia" [John Quinley, Public Affairs Specialist, ARO] Great Smoky Mountains NP Man Arrested for Homicide at Abrams Creek Campground A 42-year-old man from Alcoa, Tennessee, has been arrested and charged with the murder of a 24-year-old man at the Abrams Creek Campground during the early morning hours of Sunday, May 21st. The victim died from an apparent stab wound. Another camper called 911 and reported the incident to the Blount County Sheriff's Office around 4 a.m. Deputies responded and rangers were notified. The 16-site campground was closed during the day while investigators gathered evidence and interviewed several campers. Alcohol may have been a contributing factor in the altercation between the two men. The FBI, county officers and rangers jointly investigated the death. The man who was arrested was charged with one count of violating 18 USC 1111(a), murder within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States - specifically, second degree murder in a national park. [Nancy Gray, Public Affairs Specialist] OTHER NEWS Annual ammunition survey memo transmitted: HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=4475" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=4475 Two guards from Independence NHP receive awards for help in investigation: HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewcommunityarticle&type=PeopleNews&id=1236" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewcommunityarticle&type=PeopleNews&id=1236 Detail LE rangers sought at CANA: HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewjobdetails&type=Jobs&id=2390" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewjobdetails&type=Jobs&id=2390 * * * * * Prepared by Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA. --- ### --- |