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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Thursday, October 4, 2007 =============================================================================================================== INCIDENTS Glen Canyon NRA Update: Additional Details On Fatal Rock Fall On Boat On Friday, September 28th, a rock slab fell on a boat on Lake Powell, killing one person. The search continues for a second person who is missing and presumed drowned. Park dispatch was contacted by visitors who reported finding the capsized vessel within Lake Canyon. They had reportedly passed the vessel as it sat under a small sandstone alcove approximately 20 minutes earlier and had waved to the two passengers on board. The alcove under which the pontoon boat was located is approximately 20 feet wide by 20 feet high. It appears that the rock slab, approximately 250 cubic feet in size, fractured from the alcove wall and fell on the bow of the boat, causing it to capsize. Rangers Scott Sample and Jennifer VanDragt responded and soon recovered the body of M.S., 59, of Calhan, Colorado. CPR was performed, but was not successful. She was declared dead at the scene. The park's underwater recovery team, led by Pat Horning and Rick Moore, is still searching for D.S., 64, also from Calhan, Colorado. The search is being hampered by poor visibility, the presence of trees underwater, and the water depth, which is estimated at 150 feet. Family members have confirmed that the S.s were together on a two-week vacation to Lake Powell when the accident occurred. The incident commander is ranger Greg Kouns. [Lindy Mihata, Acting Chief Ranger] Glen Canyon NRA Helicopter Crashes Onto Houseboat The park received a cell phone call around 10 a.m. on October 2nd, reporting that a helicopter had crashed on a houseboat in the mouth of Last Chance Bay on Lake Powell. Rangers Jared St. Clair, Shawn McNally and Chad Hunter and firefighters Chris Cook and Heath Beard responded by boat. Pilot R.S. and his wife, V.S., were taking off from the beached 75-foot houseboat in their Robinson 44 helicopter when the tail rotor began malfunctioning. R.S. tried to compensate, but the helicopter slammed back onto the houseboat because he'd failed to remove the rear tie-down strap prior to takeoff. R.S. is an experienced pilot who frequently flies to and from his houseboat, which is equipped to handle landings and takeoffs. V.S. was flown by Classic Lifeguard Helicopter to Flagstaff Medical Center for treatment of traumatic injuries. R.S. declined medical treatment. A significant amount of the helicopter's fuel leaked into the lake, and appropriate measures were taken to clean it up. A contractor removed the main rotors and tail rotor from the lake. The FAA is investigating. The IC was Jared St. Clair. [Lindy Mihata, Acting Chief Ranger] Yosemite NP Marijuana Eradication And Arrests On September 26th and 27th, Mariposa County Sheriff's Office deputies, United States Forest Service officers, California Department of Justice Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement officers, and Yosemite rangers and special agents raided four illegal marijuana cultivation sites in the Wawona District at the south end of the park. Three of the sites were located right on the park boundary between the Wawona road and the South Fork of the Merced River. The fourth site was a short distance outside the park on the Sierra National Forest. A total of 14,536 plants were seized and two Mexican nationals were arrested, one an adult and the other a 17 year-old juvenile. [Steve Yu, Special Agent] 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 are, respectively, HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/" http://inside.nps.gov/ and ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/). * Rocky Mountain NP - On September 12th, park managers from Rocky Mountain National Park, Tatra National Park (Poland) and Tatra National Park (Slovakia) signed documents establishing a sister park relationship among the three areas. * Natural Resource Stewardship and Science - Park ranger, marine biologist and science advisor Gary E. Davis retired on Wednesday, October 3rd. * US Park Police - Retired Park Police officer Cilvanus Wood passed away in Washington on September 21st. * * * * * 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). --- ### --- |