|
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Monday, October 16, 2006 =============================================================================================================== INCIDENTS Olympic NP Death Of Maintenance Employee Dan Green On the morning of Friday, October 13th, longtime park maintenance employee Daniel R. Green died from severe head injuries sustained in an October 5th fall from a dump truck. Although no one witnessed his fall, other park employees were in the area and had seen and talked with him only minutes before finding him lying unconscious on the ground next to the truck's cab. First aid and emergency medical care were provided on scene by park staff. He was then airlifted to the regional trauma center in Seattle, where he remained until his death. An engineering equipment operator, Dan had worked for 26 years at the park. He was loved and admired by his coworkers, friends and family, and will be remembered for his big heart, his ready smile and his sense of humor. An NPS serious accident investigation team will arrive in the park early this week. Critical incident stress team peer counselors are already working with park staff and Dan's family. Flags in all NPS areas in Pacific West Region will fly at half staff through sunset on the day of interment in his memory. Information about services, memorials and how to send condolences to Dan's family will be made available as soon as possible. [Barb Maynes, Public Information Officer] Kaloko-Honokohau NHP Slayer Of Ranger Found Not Guilty By Reason Of Insanity E.F.B., III, 37, was found not guilty by reason of insanity last week after a trial in federal court. E.F.B. had been hospitalized at various Bureau of Prison hospital facilities since he shot and killed ranger Steve Makuakane-Jarrell on December 12, 1999. The insanity verdict applies to all three charges against E.F.B., namely, murder of an employee of the federal government while engaged in the performance of his official duties, using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The evidence at trial showed that Makuakane-Jarrell approached E.F.B. after his dogs aggressively barked and snapped at a visitor. At some point during their encounter, a struggle ensued and E.F.B. gained control over the ranger's semi-automatic handgun, shooting him twice at close range. E.F.B., who was declared incompetent to proceed to trial on several occasions since the murder, was declared competent to proceed to trial late last year. At trial, the government's own psychologist testified that E.F.B. suffered from a severe form of paranoia and schizophrenia, and testified that E.F.B., who was homeless at the time, believed that the ranger was attempting to kill him and his dogs at the time of their encounter. He also said that, due to his severe mental disease, E.F.B. was insane at the time he shot the ranger. The defense psychiatrist also testified that E.F.B. was insane at the time of the shooting due to severe paranoia and schizophrenia. E.F.B. will be remanded to the custody of the Bureau of Prisons for a study to be conducted by mental health experts on whether he presents a risk of danger to persons or property. A hearing will be conducted by the court on November 20th regarding the issue of dangerousness. E.F.B. has a long history of mental illness and a history of violent acts and threats, which culminated in the shooting death of the ranger. “Based on this dangerous history, we will aggressively fight to keep Mr. E.F.B. in custody forever, because he poses such a substantial threat to the safety and welfare of our citizens,” said U.S. attorney Ed Kubo. At any future hearing, E.F.B. will bear the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that he is not a substantial danger to other persons or property. Assistant U.S. attorney Ken Sorenson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, NPS, and the Hawaii County Police Department. [United States Attorney, District of Hawaii] Lake Clark NP&P Plane With Seven Onboard Crashes In Park A private plane carrying seven people crashed into trees near Port Alsworth on the morning of Monday, October 9th, after strong gusts buffeted the plane shortly after takeoff. One passenger suffered a broken back and another a broken pelvis. The others on board were unharmed or had minor injuries. The group included at least two children. The single-engine Piper Cherokee Six had just left Port Alsworth and was headed for Egegik, a village in the region, when it hit turbulence. Port Alsworth, a village about 186 miles west of Anchorage, sits near mountains on the edge of the park. At the time of the accident, ground winds were blowing at about 30 mph, increasing as the plane gained altitude. The pilot turned around immediately after takeoff, hoping to get back to the airport, but couldn't control the plane, which was hit by a series of strong downdrafts. The plane crashed belly up near Lake Clark, spinning 180 degrees before sliding to a stop. The pilot suffered only a minor injury. The six passengers were flown to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage. [Anchorage Daily News] Lake Mead NRA Areas Closed Due To Storms And Flooding The park closed several areas on Saturday due to damage caused by heavy rains and flooding. The Willow Beach access road washed out, stranding a number of employees and visitors. Initial estimates were that the road would be closed for at least a couple of days. Plans were to boat people down to Cottonwood Cove, then bus them back to Boulder City, Henderson or Las Vegas. Willow Beach is 13 miles south of Hoover dam and is on the Arizona Side of Lake Mohave. At the time of the report (Saturday), efforts were also underway to rescue a group of 39 visitors stranded in Black Canyon. Their canoes, kayaks and tents had all been washed away. Black Canyon is the area from Hoover Dam south to Willow Beach. The St. Thomas Road, just north of Overton Beach Marina, was also washed out. [Roxanne Dey, Public Affairs Officer] Wrangell-St. Elias NP&P Flood Damages Parts Of Kennecott NHL Heavy rains have caused National Creek to flood, seriously damaging portions of Kennecott Mill Town. Flooding damaged the supports to the bridge into the town, leading to its closure. Repair work will most likely not take place until next spring. The low-water crossing next to the trestle bridge was also destroyed by flood waters. The assay building, hospital and bunk houses within the national historic landmark were also damaged. The assay building has lost its north and rear walls, and the creek channel now runs against on of the remaining walls. There's gravel and debris within the hospital and bunk houses, but they remain standing. The Lakina River also flooded the McCarthy Road near mile 44. A park inholder home has been washed into the middle of the river but remains standing. None of the family members were injured. Park staff are working with family members and other agencies to salvage personal belongings that remain in the house. Alaska DOT has closed McCarthy Road to traffic until repairs can be completed. [Smitty Parratt, Public Information Officer] Colonial NHP Part Of Parkway Closed Due To Storm Damage A section of the Colonial Parkway from Newport Avenue to Route 199 has been closed due to damage to culverts beneath the roadway caused by heavy rains. It will be about two weeks before the extent of the damage and needed repairs are known. More than eight inches of rain fell on the area the weekend before last, causing Paper Mill Creek to rise out of its banks and overwhelming the culverts. About 15 cubic yards of soil were carried away from beneath the parkway. About 7,000 to 8,000 vehicles a day travel on the 23-mile-long parkway, which runs from Jamestown to Yorktown. The closed section of parkway is also off limits to bicyclists and pedestrians. [Newport News Daily Press] Glen Canyon NRA Rainbow Bridge Trail Reopens The trail to Rainbow Bridge was reopened on October 13th after maintenance crews made significant progress in repairing the trail to the site, closed due to flood damage since October 6th. Flood waters washed out sections of the trail, creating unsafe conditions. Meanwhile, Lake Powell has risen more than four feet due to regional floods, an increase almost unheard of for this time of year. [Kevin Schneider, Public Affairs Officer] LINK TO INSIDENPS For other current NPS news stories, click on HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/" http://inside.nps.gov/ * * * * * Prepared by Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA. --- ### --- |