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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Friday, December 8, 2006 =============================================================================================================== INCIDENTS Badlands NP Ranger Saves Life Of Accident Victim Ranger Bryan Adams was driving his patrol vehicle to Rapid City for some minor vehicle repairs on the afternoon of December 4th when he came upon a single vehicle accident on an overpass above I-90. A southbound car had crossed the northbound lanes, hit a concrete guardrail, left the road, and finally come to rest in the pedestrian fencing. It was completely off the ground, hanging precariously over the interstate below. A large group of bystanders were crowded around the suspended vehicle, and several of them were in the process of pulling the unconscious driver - J.K., 38 - from the car. Adams grabbed his medical gear, rushed to J.K.'s side, and began a medical assessment. One of the bystanders, a nurse, called out that J.K. was not breathing. Adams confirmed this to be the case and also that he had no pulse. Adams and the nurse then began CPR. As they did so, emergency units from Pennington County and Rapid City began arriving on scene. After performing CPR for about five minutes, Adams detected a faint pulse, but J.K.'s breathing had not yet been restored. He was transferred to the care of the paramedics and rushed to Rapid City Regional Hospital, where he remains in critical condition. Had it not been for the quick and decisive actions taken by Adams and the nurse, J.K. would have certainly died. Investigators believe that J.K. suffered a heart attack while driving. The accident remains under investigation. [Mark Gorman, Chief Ranger] Buffalo NR Poachers Start Wildland Fire In Park On Friday, November 24th, rangers received a report of smoke in the park's Middle District near the town of Gilbert. Responding rangers and local volunteer firefighters discovered a blaze covering several acres of park land. During the initial response, firefighters reported gunshots in their immediate vicinity, and rangers took measures to protect them while working the fire's edge. The source of the gunfire was not located, but evidence was recovered at the fire site and in the nearby area. The NPS investigation led to the identification of two suspects who have since confessed to the fire. The two also admitted to illegally taking wildlife and being involved in several other crimes in the park. Two additional fires that were discovered nearby the following day are still under investigation. [Robert Still, District Ranger, Middle District] OTHER NEWS Other news from today's edition of InsideNPS, the National Park Service's home page: Servicewide - The National Park Service has developed and made available for the holiday season a web site to help visitors know which parks are offering special holiday programs this year. El Morro NM - On December 8, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt designated El Morro as a national monument, our nation's second. Special centennial events will be held through this weekend. NPS Alumni - Retired NPS archaeologist Doug Scott, an expert witness in the forensic archeology of battlefields, recently testified in Saddam Hussein's murder trial in Baghdad. Richmond NBP - The park is seeking qualified candidates for a lateral transfer to a GL-9 protection ranger position. Gateway NRA - The park has issued an announcement for a GS-13 HR officer. Training and Events - The weekly calendars are posted. 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. --- ### --- |