NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

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INCIDENTS

Yosemite NP

Park Tour Tram Burns

Park dispatch was notified of a tour tram fire near the Tunnel View overlook on Highway 41 on the morning of Saturday, June 14th. Protection rangers, firefighters and EMS personnel were dispatched to the location and found a tram tour tractor engulfed in flame. The flames continued toward the rear of the tractor's cab and an attached propane tank. The tank started to vent, then ignited, causing a 20-foot vertical flame to issue from it. The fire was suppressed with the help of a Delaware North Corporation structural engine and a contract helicopter. The 60 passengers on the tram were all safely evacuated and there were no injuries. [Michael Siler, Valley Assistant Shift Supervisor]

Upper Delaware S&RR

New York City Man Drowns In Delaware

Rangers were contacted by Sullivan County 911 last Friday afternoon and advised of a river rescue operation in progress near a canoe livery base in Minisink, New York. Another call revealed that the person had been recovered, that CPR was in progress, and that he was being taken to Bon Secours Hospital in Port Jervis. S.V., 20, of Staten Island, New York, had been swimming in the Delaware River with four companions when they attempted to swim across the river to the Pennsylvania shoreline. When they were about half way across, S.V. begin having difficulty staying afloat, called for help, then went under. His companions attempted to assist but could not rescue him. Employees and campers from the canoe livery, Lander's River Trips, heard the calls for help and responded in canoes. They pulled S.V. into a canoe and began CPR, then turned him over to an ambulance crew on shore. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead after additional life support efforts failed. About three hours before the incident occurred, staff from Kittatinny Canoe, another canoe livery, advised them not to swim across the river and to wear lifejackets while in the water. [Al Henry, Chief Ranger]

Big South Fork NRRA

Suicide Victim Found After Search

On June 30th, J.M. of Bowling Green, Kentucky, told friends that he was going camping in the park for about a week. Two weeks later, friends advised Bowling Green police that he was overdue and missing. The park was apprised the next day, July 15th, and a BOLO (‘be on the lookout' message) was posted for his vehicle. J.M.'s truck was found the next night in the Leatherwood Ford parking lot near the Angel Falls trailhead. No information was found in the vehicle as to where he might be. Family members told rangers that J.M. liked to hike to the falls and was a regular visitor to the park. Searchers checked all trails in the Leatherwood Ford area that day, but found no sign of him. A full scale search was begun the next day and his body was found about two hours later near a creek about a thousand feet from the trail. Indications were that he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and that he'd probably been dead since the day he was reported to have come to the park. An autopsy was conducted which confirmed the probability of suicide. [Frank Graham, Chief 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:

Water Resources Division - NPS scientists and managers converged on the eleventh International Coral Reef Symposium in early July to share their experiences and knowledge of coral reef ecosystem conservation, education and management strategies with more than 3,500 national and international attendees.

Heritage Preservation Assistance - In late July, the National Aviation Heritage Alliance (NAHA), the non-profit corporation that manages National Aviation Heritage Area, was invited to participate in the 60th Farnborough International Airshow in England.

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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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