NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
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INCIDENTS
North Cascades NP
Two Killed In Float Plane Crash On Lake Chelan
A Chelan Airways Dehavilland DHC-2 Beaver float plane with five people on board crashed into Lake Chelan just south of Stehekin as it was attempting to make a routine water landing on the afternoon of May 17th. Rangers were first on scene and were joined by county deputies who responded by boat. An Air Force helicopter was also dispatched to the scene. The rangers found that three of the plane's occupants had gotten out of the passenger compartment shortly after impact. The two remaining passengers - W.S., 64, and R.P., 67 - were eventually freed from the Beaver, which was upside down and sinking. Both were in cardiac arrest. CPR was performed on them until they arrived at Lake Chelan Community Hospital, where they were pronounced dead. The 61-year-old pilot, H.“B.”W., suffered head lacerations and other non-life-threatening injuries in the crash and was flown to Chelan by the Air Force helicopter. P.S., 60, W.S.'s wife, was taken by private boat to Chelan for treatment of hypothermia. A 16-year-old Stehekin girl was treated for mild hypothermia and released. The cause of the crash is under investigation. NTSB and FAA investigators are on scene. Witnesses reported that the plane's wheels were protruding from both floats as it attempted the water landing. They may have caused the plane to nose dive into the water, then turn upside down. [Kinsey Shilling, Chief Ranger]
Whiskeytown NRS
Marijuana Grower Sentenced To 10 Years In Jail
F.H.S., 26, of Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico, has been sentenced to 120 months in prison for growing marijuana plants in the park. A National Park Service special agent and Shasta County sheriff's deputies arrested F.H.S. in the middle of a marijuana plantation last August 29th. He had a pistol in his possession at the time of the arrest. Agents subsequently seized over 6,000 marijuana plants. See the link below for the original report, filed last August. [Department of Justice]
HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=3475" http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=3475
Rocky Mountain NP
Ranger Successfully Intervenes In Suicide Attempt
On May 13th, a ranger investigating a suspicious vehicle in the Endovalley picnic area came upon a woman in the car who was in the process of attempting suicide. She had blood stains on her hands, a razor blade, and medications in the center console. There was a strong odor of alcohol in the car, which was later attributed to her having a very high blood alcohol level of .259. The ranger found that she had two deep wrist lacerations, both of which appeared to be fresh. Other rangers responded along with an ambulance from Estes Park. The woman was placed in protective custody and her wounds treated. Several knives were subsequently found in the vehicle. While being transported to Estes Park Medical Center and after her arrival there, the woman was extremely combative, and restraints failed to keep her under control. Medics and a ranger on board the ambulance had to use physical control techniques to manage the situation. The woman was later taken to a psychiatric facility. [Kyle Patterson, Public Affairs Officer]
Cape Hatteras NS
Update On “Operation Consent Decree”
A Type 3 incident management team continues to provide support to the park in implementing court-ordered consent decree measures to protect certain nesting shorebirds and sea turtles. Yesterday, a new tern colony was found just north of ramp 27 on Hatteras Island. A closure was established within the eight hour timeframe required by the decree. An existing closure on the north end of Ocracoke Island was expanded to provide a 150 meter buffer for a newly-discovered scrape (bird breeding behavior). Sea turtle eggs were also found at the high tide line near Cape Point on Hatteras Island. Turtle management specialists determined that the eggs were not likely to be successful where they were and relocated them to an existing pre-nesting closure area in keeping with standard practice. Incident staff are developing a Google Earth-based map, showing closures and buffers, for posting on the web, and are preparing for the arrival of SETT team members on Thursday. [Greg Stiles, IC]
OTHER NEWS
The following stories (among others) can be read on InsideNPS:
Redwood N&SP - The Redwood National Park Hostel has been voted one of the two best Hostelling International hostels in the world. It tied with a hostel in Japan.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6519" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6519
Delaware Water Gap NRA - Tom Solon is “taking down his shingle” as park historical architect and retiring on June 3rd.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=1925" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=1925
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Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found at the following web site:
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 ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).
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