|
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Thursday, May 31, 2007 =============================================================================================================== INCIDENTS Gulf Islands NS Woman Killed In Boating Accident Ranger Ben Moore was patrolling by boat off the coast of Horn Island on the afternoon of May 27th when he was flagged down by people on a 23-foot Baja. When he got to the boat, Moore found that they had just pulled a 35-year-old woman who was a member of their party out of the ocean. He determined that she'd sustained severe facial injuries and was beyond resuscitation. The woman, a resident of Long Beach, Mississippi, had evidently been swimming near the boat while the outboard motor was under power. While climbing back on board via the stern ladder, she lost her footing, fell back into the water, and was hit by the spinning prop. Another member of the party attempted to rescue her, but she never regained consciousness. Although the incident remains under investigation, it appears at present that alcohol may have been a significant contributing factor. [Clay Jordan, Chief Ranger] Cape Hatteras NS Drowning Off Ocracoke Island A.R.K.R., 29, was swimming in the ocean with a friend near the campground on Ocracoke Island on May 27th when he encountered a strong current and began struggling as he attempted to return to shore. Another friend on shore watched as he went face down in the ocean and the current took him away from land. A visitor on the beach attempted to swim out to help him, but had to return because the current was so strong. A.R.K.R.'s friend went to the campground to get help and called 911. Rangers, lifeguards, Hyde County officers, Ocracoke EMS and Coast Guard personnel all responded. Two Coast Guard boats and a helicopter were employed in the search and rescue operation and were later joined by a Marine Corps helicopter that continued to search until 1 a.m. the next morning. The search resumed later that day. A.R.K.R.'s body was soon found washed up on the beach about 200 feet from the point last seen. A medical examiner pronounced him dead. [Norah Martinez, Chief Ranger] Biscayne NP Cuban Migrants Land On Sands Key Ranger Thomas Rutledge responded to a report of Cuban migrants on Sands Key early on the morning of Friday, May 18th. Rutledge found a group of 15 Cubans on the island - men and women, but no children. When Coast Guard and Miami-Dade PD vessels arrived, the Cubans were taken to the Black Point marina, where they waited for the Border Patrol to pick them up. Under the U.S. “wet foot, dry foot” policy, they were paroled into the country until they could apply for green cards (under the terms of this policy, anyone caught on waters between Cuba and the U.S. is sent home or to a third country, whereas anyone who makes it to shore gets a chance to remain in the country and later apply for permanent residence status and U.S. citizenship). It's probable that the Cubans were smuggled into the U.S. On May 24th, 14 five-gallon and six-gallon gasoline containers were found hidden in evenly spaced locations along the eastern coast of Elliott Key. Resource management employees removed the containers, which were filled with fresh gasoline. Islands within the park have been used to store gas for smuggling operations for many years now. [Didier Carod, Law Enforcement Specialist] OTHER NEWS The following stories (among others) can be read on either the InsideNPS web site (if you are within the National Park Service) or at the InsideNPS public ‘news digest' site (if you are outside of the NPS). The web sites appear below: Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance - National Trails Day, the largest annual single-day trails and outdoor celebration in the country, takes place this Saturday. The National Park Service is an active partner in this event, and numerous activities have been scheduled at parks across the country. Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs - This week's update on past and upcoming hearings and the status of legislation pertinent to the National Park Service. Glen Canyon NRA - News story from Salt Lake Tribune: “The Glen Canyon Dam turns 50 this weekend. Environmentalists say Lake Powell's future is a dry one, but others say they're all wet.” To see the above articles, go to InsideNPS ( HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/" http://inside.nps.gov/) or NPS Digest ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/). For NPS incident reporting standards, go to HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363 * * * * * Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov, 570-426-2430). --- ### --- |