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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Friday, August 10, 2007 =============================================================================================================== INCIDENTS Sequoia-Kings Canyon NPs Follow-up On Operation Weed Free Additional information has been received on the Lake Canyon Incident, which is the most recent chapter in Operation Weed Free, this summer's pre-planned marijuana plantation detection and eradication operation. Lake Canyon began on Tuesday in the East Fork drainage of the Kaweah River with the removal of 5,432 marijuana plants valued at about $14 million. After shots were heard in the area during a helicopter re-supply flight on Tuesday afternoon, the focus of the operation shifted from detection and eradication to containment and capture of the growers and/or whoever fired the gunshots. An inspection of the helicopter revealed no damage. Since this episode greatly increased the potential complexity of the incident and increased concerns for personnel safety, though, park managers determined that an incident team would be needed to safely complete the operation. The Western IMT was accordingly brought in and took over management of the incident from the park's Type 3 IMT yesterday morning. Park law enforcement specialist Kip Knapp continues as incident commander. [Shauna Austin, Information Officer] Cape Hatteras NS Boogie Boarder Drowns Off Ocracoke Island J.W., 49, went swimming with family members and friends across from Ramp 68 at the park campground on Ocracoke Island on the morning of Monday, August 6th. While other members of his family watched their kids in the water near the shoreline, J.W. paddled out into the ocean on a boogie board. A friend subsequently saw him swimming out further into the waves. J.W.'s son then saw his father's boogie board float to shore and alerted family members, who then saw another visitor attempting to bring J.W. to shore. They ran into the water and helped him. CPR was begun by another park visitor and Hyde County dispatch was notified. Rangers responded along with Ocracoke paramedics and firefighters. Despite the administration of advanced life support measures, J.W. was pronounced dead upon arrival at Ocracoke Health Center. [Norah Martinez, Chief Ranger] 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: Glen Canyon NRA - New test results indicate the presence of an extremely small number of individual, larval quagga or zebra mussels in Lake Powell. Denali NP - The Denali climbing season has come to an end. This season, 1,218 mountaineers attempted various routes on Mt. McKinley, with a slightly less-than-average 47% reaching the summit. Only one individual achieved the summit of Mt. Foraker. NPS Alumni - Charles William Snell, 86, a National Park Service historian from 1948 to 1984, died on July 8th in Silver Spring, Maryland. 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 support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Edited by Bill Halainen ( Bill_Halainen@nps.gov, 570-686-3828). --- ### --- |