NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

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INCIDENTS

Glacier NP

Search For Missing Hiker Continues

Hikers and mountaineers continued to search some of northwestern Montana's most forbidding terrain yesterday in an effort to find a missing hiker in the park's backcountry. Search managers said they continued to hope that additional information would be discovered about the hiker's whereabouts, but that, absent such a development, they would scale back the operation. The decision comes as family members of Y.-J.H., 27, began to arrive in Montana. Representatives from the park are meeting with the family to discuss the search and to assure them that efforts to resolve the questions of his whereabouts and condition would continue. The young man, a native of Malaysia, was reported missing by family members on August 19th. The last confirmed sighting of Y-J.H. was on August 11th, when he picked up his backcountry permit. Searchers have thoroughly checked all high-probability areas and have now moved to lower probability areas. The search area is rich in lakes, cliff bands made slippery by rain and snow, glaciers, glacial melt ponds, crevasses, ice and snow bridges, forests, and shaded areas near ridges with fresh snow - challenging terrain for even the most experienced climbers. More than 2,500 search hours had been logged by the end of yesterday's operational period. The incident management team has employed two helicopters, heat-sensing equipment, human-detection dogs, and mounted horse patrols in this operation. Assistance has been received from a number of government and private sources, including the Flathead County Sheriff's Department, US Border Patrol, US Forest Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Glacier County Sheriff's Department. [Norma Sosa, Public Affairs Officer]

Baltimore Washington Parkway

Two Killed In Multiple Vehicle Accident

On the afternoon of Thursday, August 21st, the Park Police were notified of a multi-vehicle accident on the parkway south of Powder Mill Road. A Mitsubishi sedan was heading north on the highway when it went over the median into the southbound lanes, striking at least four vehicles, including two pickups, a sedan and a motorcycle. Two people were killed, one person was taken to a hospital in stable condition, and one person was treated and released. The driver of the Mitsubishi, Leroy Taylor, 60, of Washington, was killed, as was Ronald Meader, 48, of Severn, Maryland, who was operating a Harley Davidson motorcycle. All traffic traveling southbound was diverted onto Route 198; all traffic traveling northbound was diverted onto the beltway that goes around Washington. The parkway was closed for approximately five hours. Park Police crash reconstruction team members and detectives investigated the collision. [Sgt. Robert Lachance, Public Affairs Officer]

Sleeping Bear Dunes NL

Rangers, Scouts And Others Rescue Seriously Ill Hiker

On the afternoon of July 26th, North Manitou Island ranger Luke Hunter received a cell phone call from a hiker reporting that a man was unconscious and having a seizure about six miles from the ranger station on the west side of this 15,000-acre Lake Michigan island. The reporting party, T.F., a solo hiker not affiliated with the group, said that the victim had been actively seizing and vomiting for over three hours. Hunter, a medical first responder, gave the caller some first aid directions, then notified park dispatcher Tom Davison, who requested assistance from the Coast Guard Air Station at Traverse City. Davison also notified ranger Pat Reimann, who was on backcountry patrol on the island about four miles from the scene. A Coast Guard HH65-C Dolphin helicopter flew to the island. The crew was unable to locate the victim from the air, though, so flew to the ranger station to pick up Hunter. They soon found the victim, but couldn't land due to thick forest cover. Finding a clearing along the west shore, the helicopter landed and dropped off Hunter and a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, who ran about a mile to the victim, 42 year-old Richard Nielson of Grosse Isle, Michigan. Nielson was unconscious and was being assisted by T.F., some Boy Scouts who were hiking with Nielson, and another group of passing hikers. Hunter and the rescue swimmer began treatment and applied oxygen and were preparing to carry Nielson out just as Reimann arrived. One of the hikers identified himself as an Eagle Scout and suggested building a litter to carry Nielson, so a makeshift stretcher using hiking sticks and clothing was built by the Scouts and Nielson was carried a half-mile through the brush to the waiting helicopter. Nielson was flown to Munson Medical Center in Traverse City, where he was admitted, treated, and released. T.F. later had this to say about the rescue: “I was impressed with how a group of different people were able to form a team and work efficiently. The Coast Guard swimmer was the leader and primary caregiver. The rangers knew the lay of the land and provided accurate directions (they were absolutely correct about the bushwhack being the most efficient way to get to the open field). The Eagle Scout had the leadership skills to step up and recommend building the litter (I also credit the swimmer for being open to the idea). The rangers, swimmer, and the college kids did all the carrying.” T.F. and the other hikers who assisted in the rescue were later presented with National Park Service search and rescue award pins and letters of commendation from the park superintendent. [Larry Johnson, Chief Ranger]

Sequoia-Kings Canyon NPs

Vehicle Fire Temporarily Closes Generals Highway

Rangers responded to a vehicle fire at Deer Ridge on the Generals Highway in Sequoia National Park on the morning of August 18th. A visitor from Pomona, California, pulled to the side of the road after her 2000 Volkswagen Passat filled with smoke. She and her mother and her seven-month-old twins were able to get out before the VW was completely engulfed in flame. Since fires along switchbacks on this highway can spread quickly and present safety problems, the park implemented the Generals Highway evacuation plan and closed the road. Structural fire engines from Lodgepole and Ash Mountain, the wildland engine from Ash Mountain, and the park helicopter with a bucket all responded. When they arrived, they found that the car had been completely consumed by the fire and that it had spread into roadside vegetation. The vehicle fire was extinguished and firefighters contained the wildland fire, which had spread about 100 feet into the duff uphill from the car. A bucket drop helped contain that fire. The highway was reopened about two hours later. [Deb Schweizer, Fire Education Specialist]

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:

Interpretive/Education Division - This year, as part of Founder's Day, The KidsZone, a special feature for children, was launched on NPS.gov. Following the KidsZone link from the NPS homepage takes children to the site, which includes WebRangers, in-park Junior Ranger programs, and other features.

Legislative and Congressional Affairs - This week's update on past and upcoming hearings and the status of legislation pertinent to the National Park Service.

Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services - The Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services is in need of photos of park rangers and special agents in action.

Intermountain Region - Jerry Case, a 32-year veteran of the National Park Service, has been named superintendent of Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. He will assume his new position in early October.

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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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