NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

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INCIDENTS

Hawaiian Parks

Parks Close In Preparation For Hurricane Flossie

Due to the potential severe weather hazard posed by Hurricane, Flossie most of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park closed at 10:00 a.m. yesterday morning. The following remain open:

Three miles of Crater Rim Drive from Kilauea Visitor Center to Jaggar Museum

Volcano House Hotel

Kilauea Military Camp

As of 8:00 a.m. Tuesday morning (local time), the center of Hurricane Flossie, a Category Two hurricane, was located about 190 miles southeast of the park, moving west-northwest at about 11 mph. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning and hurricane watch for the island of Hawai‘i. Flossie packs sustained winds near 110 mph with higher gusts. Some weakening is forecast during the next 24 hours. The main effects from the hurricane were expected by mid-morning on Tuesday as Flossie passed south of the island. Tropical storm force winds of 40 to 50 mph with higher gusts were expected. The park was also looking at the prospect of Flossie dropping 10 inches or more of rainfall in the island's Ka‘u District through Tuesday night. Twenty to twenty-five foot surf was forecast for the island's south facing shores. Park employees not essential to emergency operations were released from work yesterday morning. Three national parks on the west side of the island - Pu‘uhonua o Honaunau, Kaloko-Honokohau, and Pu‘ukohola Heiau - also closed yesterday. For updates on Hurricane Flossie, go to HYPERLINK "http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/cphc/" http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/cphc/. [Mardie Lane, Public Affairs Officer]

George Washington Memorial Parkway

Rescuers Save Life Of Injured Hiker

On Sunday, August 12th, the United States Park Police “Eagle” helicopter responded to Great Falls Park to assist in the rescue of an injured person. Officer Chad Gordon, NPS rangers Sheryl Bresee and Robert Mocko, and local fire/rescue personnel evacuated a teenage boy who had suffered injuries to his pelvis, back, abdomen, and head from a significant fall from a rock ledge of about 25 to 30 feet. Rescuers carried the injured teen over difficult terrain to a rescue boat that transported him to the helicopter. “Eagle,” flown by sergeant Ken Burchell and rescue technician sergeant Mark Varanelli, made a landing in a confined space within a quarry to medevac the patient to a local hospital. This coordinated effort was made possible by the extensive interagency training conducted by the United States Park Police, National Park Service, and Fairfax County Department of Fire and Rescue Services. [Sergeant Robert Lachance, Public Information Officer]

Upper Delaware S&RR

Fisherman Drowns In River Rapids

P.H., 62, drowned in the Barryville-Shohola rapids on the Delaware River after his canoe capsized around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 12th. P.H. and a companion were paddling and fishing as they went through the rapids when the canoe capsized and both ended up in the river. There were no Coast Guard-approved life jackets on board, just Type IV seat cushions that don't meet USCG requirements. P.H. was submerged for about 20 minutes before bystanders recovered him and brought him to the New York shoreline. They then performed CPR on him for about 20 minutes. It took a further 20 minutes for rangers and local police officers and first responders to arrive on scene. P.H.'s body was transported downstream to the park's Barryville office. Rangers and state troopers are investigating. [Al Henry, Chief Ranger]

Richmond NBP

Suicide Victim Found At Fort Darling

During the afternoon hours of Saturday, August 11th, a ranger on patrol in the park came upon a vehicle parked at the Fort Darling unit. A visitor told him that the vehicle had been there earlier that day and possibly on Friday. The ranger checked the area, but could find no sign of the operator. He checked with the family and found that nobody was missing. On Sunday morning, though, a family member contacted the ranger and reported that a relative had not shown up at work for a couple of days. Chesterfield County officers were summoned. With the aid of a tracking dog, the officers and rangers found the body of a 38-year-old man with a single gunshot wound to his head. The body was found in an area closed to the public with a view of the James River. The death has been ruled a suicide. [Tim Mauch, Chief Ranger]

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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 ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov, 570-686-3828).

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