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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Friday, August 3, 2007 =============================================================================================================== INCIDENTS Yosemite NP Search For Missing Woman Continues The search for O.“T.”B., 80, continues. O.B. was last seen on July 30th near Vogelsang High Sierra Camp. Over 100 searchers from Marin, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, Ventura, Santa Clara, and Fresno counties, as well as from the Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit, the National Park Service, and DNC Parks and Resorts in Yosemite, Inc., are participating in the search effort. Dog teams and helicopters are also being employed. On Wednesday, a bloodhound got a positive hit on the Fletcher Creek trail, but lost the scent. No other significant clues have yet been found. Although daytime temperatures have been in the 70s, they've dropped into the 30s at night. The search area covers terrain running from about 7,000 feet to 10,500 feet. O.B. is described as 5'0” tall, with dyed blond hair and brown eyes. She is an experienced hiker but has a history of memory loss which can lead to confusion. Anyone hiking in the backcountry areas around Tuolumne Meadows or east of Merced Lake (especially those near the Vogelsang or Merced High Sierra Camps or Emeric Lake) should call 209-372-0778. [Adrienne Freeman, Public Affairs Specialist; Eric Gabriel, Mather District Ranger] Buffalo NR Two Men Rescued From Cave Two men and a woman, all in their 20s, entered Cave Mountain Cave around 7 p.m. on July 18th. They were dressed in shorts and t-shirts and had no caving equipment with them. After traveling about 50 yards down a passageway, they came upon an old rope tied around a rock that led down into an opening. The two men used the old rope to lower themselves 30 feet from an overhanging ledge into a chamber. Unable to climb back up the rope, they sent the woman to get help. Rangers and the park's cave specialist responded around 10:30 p.m. after being notified of the incident by the Newton County Sheriff's Office. A cave ladder was lowered over the ledge and a belay system was set up. Park staff climbed down to the two men, bringing along harnesses, headlamps and helmets to properly equip them. They attached a belay line to the men and instructed them on how to climb the ladder, leading them to safety after having been in the cave for nearly eight hours. This was the second time within two months that rangers have rescued stranded people lacking the proper gear in this section of the cave. The park is in the process of establishing a permit system that will limit entry to this cave to those with the proper equipment and experience. [Lee Buschkowsky, Upper District Ranger] Grand Canyon NP Visitor Falls To His Death From North Rim A man fell approximately 300 feet to his death from the west side of Bright Angel Point on the North Rim around 10:30 a.m. yesterday morning. Bright Angel Point is located a quarter of a mile southeast of the Grand Canyon Lodge and the North Rim developed area. After the park's dispatch center received a cell phone call from the victim's brother, rangers were dispatched to the scene but could not make direct contact with the man. The park's helicopter was launched and rangers were short-hauled to the body. They confirmed that the man had died of injuries sustained in the fall. The body was flown to the South Rim, then transferred to the Coconino County Medical Examiner's Office in Flagstaff, Arizona. A family liaison officer from the NPS is providing support services to the family. [Maureen Oltrogge, Public Affairs Specialist] George Washington Memorial Parkway Driver Sentenced In Fatal Car Crash In the early hours of September 28, 2006, a black Lexus being driven by S.M. went off the southbound lane of the parkway near Spout Run and collided with trees along the roadway. The driver and front seat passenger received minor injuries and a man and woman in the back seat sustained serious injuries and were taken to local hospitals. The fifth occupant, 21-year-old J.L. of Great Falls, Virginia, who was also in the back seat, was pronounced dead at the scene. On Friday, July 27th, S.M. was sentenced in district court in Arlington, Virginia, on a count of involuntary manslaughter. The judge ordered her to spend five years in prison, with four years suspended. Park Police detectives Todd C. Reid and Michael Horman led the investigation; crash reconstruction was done by officer Janice Bindeman. [Sergeant Robert Lachance, Public Information Officer] 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: Servicewide - The non-profit National Parks Conservation Association has issued a new report on the serious impacts of global warming on the national parks. It also recommends a number of actions that can be taken to ameliorate these impacts. 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. 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). --- ### --- |