NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
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INCIDENTS
Lake Mead NRA
Rangers Rescue Couple After Their Boat Sinks
The park's dispatch center received a call from M.H. of Las Vegas around 1 a.m. on Friday, June 27th. He reported that he and a female friend had been boating in Boulder Basin when their 30-foot boat struck something and began to quickly take on water. He told his friend, who was wearing a life jacket, to jump into the water. He then quickly grabbed a few essential items, including a life jacket, cell phone and a flashlight, and joined her in the lake. After two hours of trying to swim to shore, he called for help and told dispatchers that they were somewhere between Callville Bay and Black Island. Rangers and NPS boating volunteers were soon on scene, spotted the light from M.H.'s flashlight, and rescued the pair. They were given warm clothes and water and are reported to be okay. [Roxanne Dey, Public Affairs Specialist]
Glen Canyon NRA
Swimmer Presumed Drowned In San Juan River
Park dispatch received a report on the evening of June 25th that someone had drowned in the San Juan River near the Navajo Reservation. The location was identified as downstream of Piute Farms. B.S., 23, of Kayenta, Arizona, had been visiting with friends in the area. Preliminary reports indicate that he entered the river to assist others who were having difficulty swimming, then went under and did not resurface. It's not known if he was wearing a life jacket. The other four swimmers were able to return to shore and summon help. Personnel from several agencies, including the Navajo Police Department, San Juan County Sheriff's Office, Utah Highway Patrol, and area emergency medical and fire personnel, responded to assist NPS staff. B.S.'s body has not yet been recovered. [Marianne Karraker, Public Affairs Specialist]
Lake Mead NRA
Cliff Diver Drowns In Lake Mead
A 23-year-old Prescott, Arizona, man was with a group of friends at Lake Mead on the evening of June 29th when he jumped off a 90-foot-high cliff near Sidewinder Cove on the Arizona side of the lake. He did not resurface. A Nevada Department of Wildlife warden was in the area and was on scene within 15 minute. He tried to locate the man while rangers responded to join him, but was unable to do so. Las Vegas Metro PD divers subsequently recovered the body. Cliff divers often believe that they are jumping or diving into water that is much deeper than it is in reality. Additional dangers include rocks and outcroppings that are under the water and can't be seen from above. [Roxanne Dey, Public Affairs Specialist]
Organ Pipe Cactus NM
Two Of Three Smugglers Sentenced To Prison Terms
Rangers and special agents spotted tracks crossing the border into the park last December 30th and began following them. They tracked nine people for more than six miles over rough terrain to a location north of the Baker mine. When the group stopped to rest, the rangers and agent moved in and arrested three smugglers at gunpoint, all illegal aliens from Mexico. Seven backpacks filled with about 330 pounds of marijuana were seized. On May 29th, R.C.-F. and A.A.-O. were convicted in U.S. District Court for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute (21 USC 841). Each was sentenced to 13 months and a day in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised probation. The third man, T.S.-V., has pled guilty to the same charges and will be sentenced in July. Upon release from prison, all will face deportation proceedings. [Matt Fisher, Special Agent]
Glen Canyon NRA
Suicide At Lone Rock Beach
On June 24th, the Coconino County Sheriff's Office contacted rangers and asked them to help find a possibly suicidal 58-year-old Michigan man who'd abandoned his car in the community of Greenhaven, an area of private property within park boundaries. Efforts to find him proved unavailing; subsequent efforts with dogs and a helicopter also proved fruitless. On the evening of June 26th, visitors walking down a rocky slope near the south end of Lone Rock Beach saw what appeared to be a body in the water near the shoreline and flagged down a passing boater, who investigated and confirmed their discovery. Rangers found the body of a man standing upright in about eight feet of water. There was an apparent gunshot wound under his chin. Investigation revealed that this was the man that Coconino County had been searching for. Since the beach is in Kane County, the sheriff for that county was notified and the body was retrieved. Divers from the park and Coconino County searched the area where the body had been found and recovered the handgun he'd used to shoot himself. The man was unemployed and had been living out of his vehicle. He'd contacted his family several times over the previous two years and threatened suicide. A check of the gun revealed that it had been stolen in 1991 in Texas. The two counties are investigating. [Eric Scott, Supervisory Park Ranger]
OTHER NEWS
Other stories can be read on InsideNPS at one or the other of these two sites:
NPS readers - HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index
Non-NPS readers - HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/
Please note that both publications carry a combined NIFC/NPS fire report. That is generally posted around 8 a.m. Eastern.
Among the stories in today's edition are the following:
WASO - Friday is the Fourth of July - an event commemorated at sites throughout the National Park System. The NPS has developed a web page that links prospective visitors to those sites.
Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services - Effective July 8th, Lane Baker will become the acting chief of the national law enforcement, security, and emergency services division in WASO.
Midwest Region - Mike Ward, currently serving as superintendent at Ulysses S. Grant NHS, will report for this new assignment on August 17th.
Jobs - Two job announcements of note - one for the chief of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, the other an announcement for the next intake of Park Police officers.
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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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