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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Tuesday, July 31, 2007 =============================================================================================================== INCIDENTS Saint Croix NSR Tuber Rescued In Complex Interagency Effort Late on the evening of July 16th, the Burnett County Sheriff's Department received a report of a possible heart attack victim who was stranded on the river. Rangers responded along with units of the Wisconsin and Minnesota Departments of Natural Resources, the Minnesota Highway Patrol's Aviation Division, and Grantsburg Fire and Rescue. The initial effort focused on finding the victim, who was tubing on the river in a remote area of the park. A highway patrol helicopter located him and dropped off a paramedic while ranger Jon Williams and a conservation officer used jet boats to transfer rescuers to his location. Due to low water, both boats became stuck several times before reaching the victim near midnight. The extrication from the area was further complicated by the victim's weight (525 pounds). The helicopter could not be used for a long-line extrication and the jet boats proved of limited use due to the low water combined with the victim's weight. The original report of a heart attack proved to be erroneous, but the man had an ankle injury that impeded his rescue. A local resident provided an air boat, but that also proved inadequate to overcome the rescue complications. Eventually, three canoes were lashed together with backboards placed on top for the victim to rest upon while rescuers walked the improvised flotation device three miles downriver for the next six hours to a take-out point. At the conclusion, the very thankful victim was found to have suffered only minor injuries and was treated for dehydration. The rescue involved 40 rescuers from six different agencies and a ten-hour effort. [Bob Whaley, Chief Ranger] North Cascades National Park Complex Hiker Dies In Fall From Eastbank Trail On the evening of July 28th, R.K. reported that D.K., his 62-year-old wife, was overdue from a day hike along the Eastbank trail. According to R.K., his wife had left their summer home in Mazama that morning to hike a portion of the trail. When she failed to return as expected, he and a friend drove to the trailhead and found her vehicle still there. They then hiked approximately a quarter mile down the trail, where they found her walking stick on the side of the trail. Disruption of the vegetation in the area indicated that she might have fallen 100 feet down a steep embankment and into Ruby Creek. R.K. then contacted the park for assistance. A hasty search with aircraft was begun that evening, but no sign of her was found. The interagency search continued the next day with ground searchers, a tracking dog, and aerial and river support. The fallen hiker's body was found in the river, entangled in a log jam, about two-and-a-half miles downstream from where her walking stick was discovered. Her body was removed via a short-haul extrication. The section of the trail where she fell is well maintained and the exact cause of the fall is unknown at this time. [Kinsey Shilling, Chief Ranger] Gila Cliff Dwellings NM Park Staff Assists With Evacuation Of Injured Hiker A visitor arrived at the park trailhead contact station on the afternoon of July 26th and reported that the three members of his party - all local medical professionals - had found and were treating a young male backpacker with a severally broken ankle and restricted circulation below the break about ten miles inside the Gila Wilderness. Park staff contacted the New Mexico State Police to organize a rescue. Within 15 minutes, a local EMT was on scene, interviewing the reporting party and preparing to hike to his location. Grant County SAR began contacting volunteer horseback riders and setting up a command center at the Gila Visitor Center. Park and USFS staff manned the VC, with the superintendent acting as IC until the county incident team arrived on site. Meanwhile, the EMT arrived reported that the injured backpacker was suffering critical circulation problems, and asked that a helicopter be brought in to evacuate him. The county team arranged for an Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopter to fly in from Santa Fe. The backpacker was winched aboard and the helicopter headed for the regional hospital in Silver City, New Mexico. The helicopter had to land at the Grant County airport, though, due to shortage of fuel and the limited capacity of the hospital's landing pad. A three-person equestrian team that arrived after the county ICP was established was not sent in due to darkness, lack of familiarity with the trails, and the fact that they could not have reached the scene before the helicopter. The rescue was complicated by poor radio communication due to terrain and lack of ability of the county and local EMT/fire department to communicate directly, even with a portable radio repeater established on a nearby peak, as well as darkness and rugged trails and terrain which made equestrian access during darkness extremely hazardous. The injured party was in stable condition on Friday morning and scheduled for surgery in the afternoon. [Steve Riley, Superintendent] Blue Ridge Parkway Drug Dealer Sentenced To Long Prison Term On February 4th, ranger Greg Johnston saw a vehicle turning off the parkway with a bow and arrow on the rear seat. He stopped it and contacted the operator, S.L.C. of Galax, Virginia. During a search of S.L.C. and the vehicle, Johnston recovered a concealed pistol, brass knuckles and a large amount of bundled cash. A Carroll County Sheriff's Office canine alerted on the vehicle, leading to the discovery of about six ounces of methamphetamine, a small amount of marijuana, digital scales, cellophane bags, a box of meth pipes, night vision goggles, and an audio cassette tape containing a monologue by S.L.C. in which he described his drug activities and ability to avoid capture. The total cash seized came to $18,641. S.L.C. was arrested and tried in court in April, at which time he was convicted on one charge of possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and one charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. On July 23rd, S.L.C. was sentenced to 13 1/2 years in prison. The investigation of the case was conducted by Blue Ridge Parkway, Carroll County Sheriff's Office, and the Bristol Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration. For a copy of the original incident report, click on the link below. [Jon Murphy] HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewincidentsarticle&type= Incidents&id=3181" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewincidentsarticle&type=Incidents&id=3181 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: International - Today is World Ranger Day - a day to celebrate the dedication, commitment and courage of the men and woman who guard the protected areas, biodiversity and cultural heritage of this planet. Lake Mead NRA - News article from USA Today: Lake Mead is 108 feet below its traditional level, the result of many years of low rainfall, and these dry years could soon have some serious effects on the region. Olympic NP - Long-time native plant nursery manager Matt Albright succumbed to cancer on July 20th. He will be deeply missed. 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). --- ### --- |