Grand Canyon National Park (AZ)
Technical Recovery Of Wrecked Vehicle From Canyon
While responding to an unrelated medical call on the Bright Angel Trail, the crew of a park helicopter spotted a vehicle 600 feet below the canyon rim near an area known as the Abyss late on Thursday, November 16th (click on "More Information" below for the original report). A body was round nearby. The victim's remains were recovered on the following day, but it took a little longer to arrange the extrication of the car. On November 30th, park SAR personnel, assisted by a heavy-lift Kaman Aerospace KMAX helicopter, removed the wreckage of the Chrysler Crossfire from the canyon. The vehicle was owned by Alamo Rent-A-Car, which agreed to pay for the cost of the salvage operation. The Crossfire weighed about 3,200 pounds. The KMAX, which employs a unique intermeshing rotor technology with two counter-rotating main rotors and no tail rotor, was specifically designed for heavy lifting work and was already scheduled to be in the park for a major maintenance project. [Submitted by Ken Phillips, Chief, Emergency Services] More Information...
Death Valley National Park (CA)
Unexploded Bomb Found In Park
On November 1st, the Saline Valley campground host advised the park that campers had found an unexploded bomb while hiking about three miles south of the Springs area. The bomb appeared to be unexploded military ordnance, with some type of aircraft wing pod lying nearby. Ranger/pilot Ed Forner found the items and is working with park resource management staff and the Department of Defense to recover them. This incident occurred while park superintendent JT Reynolds was hosting a desert managers group meeting and discussing ordnance and plane debris recovery with military commanding officers. [Submitted by Nancy Wizner, Chief Ranger]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Cuyahoga Valley National Park (OH)
Tim Atkinson Is Retiring
Tim Atkinson will retire from Cuyahoga Valley National Park on January 2nd after more than 27 years of service with the National Park Service. Tim spent his entire career at the park, starting in 1979 as an engineering and equipment operator work leader. In 1984, he was promoted to the position of engineering and equipment operator foreman and in 1996 his title changed to engineering and equipment operator supervisor.
Over the course of his career, Tim participated in a leadership role in many partnership programs, such as the Ohio Horseman's Council, the Adopt-A-Trail program, Cuyahoga Valley Trails Council, and the coordination of Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout service projects. Tim was also a work leader in the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail restoration project.
A reception in Tim's honor will be held on Monday, December 4th, at the November Lodge in Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center. Message of congratulations may be sent to Tim at tim_atkinson@nps.gov or (330) 650-9684 ext. 1.
Tim and his wife Mary reside in Stow.
[Submitted by Mary Pat Doorley, Interpretive Operations Supervisor]Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found at the following web site:
http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type;=Announcements&id;=3363All reports should be submitted via email to Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA, with a copy to your regional office and a copy to Dennis Burnett in Ranger Activities, WASO.