NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Thursday, December 11, 2008

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INCIDENTS

Natchez Trace Parkway

Hit And Run Driver Arrested After Struggle

On the afternoon of Monday, December 1st, park dispatch received a report of a hit and run accident near milepost 260 in Lee County, Mississippi. Ranger John Hearne responded and learned that a blue Toyota had been rear-ended by a red Dodge Neon driven by E.J., 51, of Saltillo, Mississippi. Both the victim and witnesses reported that E.J. had been belligerent, threatening and likely was heavily intoxicated. Before rangers could arrive on scene, E.J. departed. A search for his vehicle was begun and it was soon located at a residence just off the parkway. The vehicle had extensive front end damage. No one answered at the residence, but, as the vehicle was being impounded, a heavily intoxicated E.J. approached Hearne. E.J. was providing contradictory information to Hearne when two local Saltillo police officers arrived to assist. It was learned that the car had been reported stolen and that a Lee County warrant was out for E.J. arrest. When Hearne attempted to arrest E.J., he refused to obey any commands and assumed a fighting stance. Hearne then employed his taser, but without effect. When E.J. advanced on the officers, another attempt was made to taser him but was also unsuccessful. With taser cartridges expended, Hearne utilized pepper spray on E.J., but it too had little effect and he continued to forcibly resist. The officers then took him to the ground, where E.J. forcibly resisted their efforts to handcuff him. E.J. was transported by ambulance to the local hospital for evaluation prior to being taken to jail. Multiple federal, state and local charges are pending. [Allen Etheridge, Chief Ranger]

Cape Lookout NS

Three Hypothermic Occupants Of Overturned Boat Rescued

On Friday, November 28th, protection ranger Shad Dusseau responded to an assistance call from the US Coast Guard concerning an overturned small boat in the surf at Shackleford Banks Island. At the time of the call, the wind was blowing around 20 mph with a four- to six-foot breaking surf, an air temperature of 54 degrees, and a water temperature of 51 degrees. When Dusseau arrived, he found an overturned boat in the surf, with its three wet, hypothermic former occupants sitting on the beach without protection from the wind. The trio were treated for mild hypothermia and minor injuries and were provided with dry clothing. Park horse biologist Dr. Sue Stuska and park resource volunteer Margaret Wallace, who were working on the island at the time, were contacted for assistance in moving the three survivors. During the course of the rescue, a local boat towing service attempted to remove the stricken craft from the beach. The operator of the tow boat wrapped a line around both the boat's props and drifted into the surf, very nearly becoming another victim. A second towing service pulled him to safety. The original damaged craft was subsequently removed and no significant environmental damage was noted. [Shad Dusseau, LE Operations Supervisor]

Redwood N&SP

Body Found At High Bluffs Overlook

On the afternoon of December 7th, a park visitor contacted ranger Paul Tibbetts and reported that he'd found a body while hiking in the High Bluffs overlook area. Tibbetts found the body of a 37-year-old man with an obvious fatal gunshot wound to his head, evidently self-inflicted. The Del Norte County Sheriff's Department and the coroner responded are leading the investigation. [Laura Denny, Law Enforcement Specialist]

OTHER NEWS

The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS. The internal, NPS-only version of InsideNPS can be found at: HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index . The public version, called NPS Digest, can be found at: HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/

Point Reyes NS - The $2.5 million project to restore the Drakes Estero watershed has been completed, restoring habitat for an array of species, including some that are threatened or endangered.

Wrangell-St. Elias NP&P - Six draft alternatives for managing recreational off-road vehicle use in the Nabesna Road area of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve are available for public review and comment through January 10th.

Yosemite NP - Kathy Dimont, branch chief for education services at Yosemite National Park, will be retiring December 31st after 38 years of living and working in national parks from, as she says, "the redwood forests to the gulfstream waters."

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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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