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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Monday, October 30, 2006 =============================================================================================================== INCIDENTS Yosemite NP Follow-up On Fatal Climbing Fall On the afternoon of October 23rd, dispatch received a telephone call reporting a fatal climbing fall. J.H. reported that he and his partner, well-known climber T.S., had been working on a first free ascent of the "Jesus Built My Hotrod" route on the overhanging west face of the Leaning Tower. T.S.'s fall occurred when he was rappelling. J.H. told investigators that he had been above T.S. when he fell. As he was rappelling on the low-stretch ropes that they had fixed on the route, J.H. came to T.S.'s Grigri descent device on the rope at the point where he'd fallen. The Grigri had a still-locked carabiner attached which had been connected to T.S.'s harness. When T.S.'s body was recovered, the belay loop on his harness was missing. The next day, rangers recovered a broken harness belay loop in vegetation at the base of the wall. It was very worn at the spot where the break had occurred. J.H. later told investigators that T.S. was aware that the belay loop on his harness was in a weakened condition prior to the climb, and that they had talked about its poor condition three days earlier. [Keith Lober, Emergency Services Coordinator] HYPERLINK "http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/10/26/MNGMBM08VF1.DTL&hw=skinner&sn=001&sc=1000" http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/10/26/MNGMBM08VF1.DTL&hw=skinner&sn=001&sc=1000 Lake Mead NRA Boat Fire At Lake Mead Marina Park rescue personnel, concession employees and Clark County firefighters responded to a vessel fire at Lake Mead Marina on Wednesday, October 25th. A cabin cruiser, located on the B dock, was found to be fully engulfed in flames. Quick action and a two-and-a-half-hour coordinated response stopped the fire from spreading throughout the marina. The marina, located in the Boulder District, has three main docks and moorings for hundreds of vessels. Because of current low water conditions, responders had to haul firefighting equipment 1500 feet down a head walk and out onto the marina. Once the fire was contained, the vessel was cut loose and towed to a location where it was safely extinguished. Due to the quick response and heroic efforts by responders, there were no deaths or injuries and only minimal damage to the marina and surrounding vessels. [Mary Hinson, Chief Ranger] Haleakala NP Kipahulu Area Closed Due To Visitor Safety Concerns Cumulative effects of the 6.7 earthquake of October 15th and heavy rains on the 17th and 18th led to road closures on either side of the Kipululu area of Haleakala National Park. On October 22nd, the park closed the entire area to visitors. The closure includes the visitor center, campground, the pools at `Ohe`o gulch, and all trails. The closure will continue until visitors and staff can access the park safely. FEMA inspectors declared that the Paihi Bridge and numerous rock outcroppings along the highway on either side of the park's boundary could collapse at any moment. The Hana Highway is closed at mile marker 45.5, approximately seven miles southwest of Hana town and three miles from the Kipahulu visitor center. The south road (Highway 31) is also closed at mile marker 16 just past the Ulupalakua store. Due to the county and state closure of these roads, there is no safe access to the Kipahulu area. Kipahulu staff are preparing to move into a temporary information station next to the Hana Post Office until further notice. [Dominic Cardea, Chief of Interpretation] Yosemite NP Rescue Of Seriously Injured Rock Scrambler On Sunday, October 22nd, Valley District rangers and SAR team members responded to a report of a 35-year-old woman who had a rock weighing an estimated 1,000 pounds roll over her while she was scrambling on a talus slope. The woman, who was located about 600 feet above the valley floor in Le Conte Gully, suffered chest, spine and lower leg injuries. The medical team stabilized her and placed her in a litter; she was then hoisted out of the gully by a California Highway Patrol helicopter. The CHP helicopter landed at Ahwahnee Meadow and transferred her to a waiting Air Med helicopter to be taken to a trauma center in Modesto. The entire operation lasted just under two hours. [Leslie Reynolds, Valley District Ranger] OTHER NEWS Other news from today's edition of InsideNPS, the National Park Service's home page: Fort Donelson will acquire a new unit today - another Civil War fort, called Fort Heiman, is being transferred to the park. Flags are to be flown at half staff on Friday in memory of Director Bill Whalen, who died recently. The Statue of Liberty is now being powered by energy generated by Pennsylvania windmills. San Antonio Missions is hiring a GS-11 human resources specialist. To link to InsideNPS, 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. --- ### --- |