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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Thursday, September 21, 2006 =============================================================================================================== INCIDENTS Yellowstone NP Man Sentenced For Assault On Rangers On the night of July 31st, rangers arrested an exceedingly drunk and disorderly 18-year-old concession employee at a party in the Lake District. During the course of the arrest, the man assaulted the rangers and attempted to remove one ranger's sidearm from its holster. The man subsequently appeared in federal court and pled guilty to assault charges (click on “More Information” below for the original report). On September 7th, he was sentenced on two counts of assault on a federal officer, one count of being a minor in possession of alcohol, and one count of public intoxication. He was ordered to serve 120 days in federal custody (with credit given for 40 days already served), placed on supervised probation for a year, and required to pay a $70 victim/witness assessment. He was remanded to the custody of U.S. Marshals. [Brian Smith, Special Agent In Charge] HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=2820" http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=2820 Yosemite NP Rescue From Nevada Falls Park dispatch received a 911 cell phone transfer from a woman at the top of Nevada Falls around 3:30 p.m. on September 17th. She reported that her friend had suddenly collapsed and fallen to the ground, striking his head. His altered mental state suggested a potentially significant closed-head injury, further evidenced by loss of memory of the event and repetitive questioning. A park helicopter was immediately committed to the incident, and ranger Katie Lyons was dispatched to the scene from Little Yosemite Valley. A medical team was flown into the valley, the closest landing area to the accident scene but still almost a mile away. During the initial medical evaluation, the man nearly blacked out. Medics determined that his condition was sufficiently critical to warrant a short-haul evacuation. He was secured to a stokes litter, lifted from Nevada Falls via short-haul, and flown to an air ambulance waiting at Ahwahnee Meadow. [Charles Cuvelier, Deputy Chief Ranger] Grand Canyon NP Runner Charged, Struck By Bull Elk A long-time park resident was running on a trail behind the Albright Training Center between Center Road and the Grand Canyon School around 6 a.m. on September 19th when he was charged by a large bull elk. He saw that the elk was rubbing its antlers on a tree and acting aggressively, so he took evasive action and ran off trail into the woods around it. The elk pursued, though, and knocked him down. He was able to get away and flagged down a passerby, who called for assistance. The runner suffered scrapes and bruises along with an ankle injury and was transported by ambulance to the Flagstaff Medical Center. Park wildlife biologists and rangers will spend the next several days in the area where the incident occurred and will attempt to move the elk out of the area using aversive conditioning. Although encounters with bull elk have not been common within the park, rangers are reminding residents and park visitors that it is rutting season for both deer and elk. During this period, generally September/October, these animals become increasingly aggressive and may become angered by any intrusion into their territory. Elk, which can weigh as much as 1,000 pounds, have been known to injure or kill people who approach them. [Maureen Oltrogge, Public Affairs Officer] NEWS Kenai Fjords - Researchers have documented the dramatic shrinking of the park's glaciers by comparing past and current photos. HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=4787" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=4787 PEOPLE Gates of the Arctic - Ranger Dennis Knuckles is retiring after 36 years in the NPS. HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewcommunityarticle&type=PeopleNews&id=1321" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewcommunityarticle&type=PeopleNews&id=1321 JOBS Death Valley - The park is seeking candidates for a number of GS-7 seasonal law enforcement positions. HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewjobdetails&type=Jobs&id=2510" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewjobdetails&type=Jobs&id=2510 * * * * * Prepared by Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA. --- ### --- |