NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Thursday, June 3, 2010

INCIDENTS

Gulf Coast Parks

Rapid Response Underway To Oil At Gulf Islands

The men and women of the National Park Service have been an integral part of the national federal response to the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig which occurred in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20th. Oil leaking from the well currently threatens Padre Island National Seashore in Texas; Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Louisiana; Gulf Islands National Seashore in Mississippi and Florida; and DeSoto National Memorial, Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades National Park, Dry Tortugas National Park, and Biscayne National Park in Florida. These parks preserve wildlife habitats and historical areas that are unique to our country. As of 5 p.m., Wednesday, all NPS units in the Gulf remain open and are conducting park operations.

Gulf Islands NS - Gulf Islands has received a swath of sheen and tar balls approximately two miles long and three feet wide on Petit Bois Island. Land fall began on June 1st. SCAT (Shoreline Cleanup and Assessment Technique) and READ (Resource Advisors) teams have been evaluating and responding to the situation, but clean-up efforts have been hampered by inclement weather. Preparations in the Pensacola area are underway in response to a slick approximately seven miles offshore. These preparations include the placement of booms off the western tip of Santa Rosa Island near Ft. Pickens.

South Florida Parks (Big Cypress, Biscayne, DeSoto, Dry Tortugas, Everglades) - Recreational and commercial fishing waters approximately 20 miles west of Dry Tortugas NP have been closed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, but this closure does not affect all areas near the park, so people are advised to check the NOAA website at HYPERLINK "http://www.noaa.gov/_" www.noaa.gov. NPS personnel continue to conduct daily surveys of the islands of Dry Tortugas NP. Monitoring continues at all South Florida park coastal areas. There has been no oil from Deepwater Horizon in the parks. Visitors are continuing to enjoy the Islands and beaches and all the related recreational opportunities they offer. A communications center continues to be staffed by a team of information officers and can be contacted at 305-224-4215, or via email at HYPERLINK "mailto:SouthFloridaNPS@gmail.com" SouthFloridaNPS@gmail.com .

Jean Lafitte NHP&P - Park staff are working with the unified command in Mobile and with state and parish officials to plan for any necessary defensive actions.

Padre Island NS - Padre Island is operating under normal conditions, although the staff is making preparations for the possible arrival of oil. They have set data collection points every two miles along the beach on the Gulf of Mexico. Each data point was set using a Trimble CE GPS and marked at the base of the primary dunes with a 2'' by 2'' wood stake painted with florescent pink paint. Pictures were taken in the cardinal directions at each data point but were not geo tagged with location. Volunteers will be repeating the photos using a Trimble so the photos may be tagged. Staff are also preparing to collect water, sand and sediment samples when directions are received to do so. The more than 70 miles of beach are patrolled by members of the park's turtle program, and they will report any oil or tar on the beach.

For more information on the NPS, DOI and national oil spill responses and for a link to the BP online oil spill safety training needed by all incident staff, please see the following:

NPS Oil Spill Response - HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/oil-spill-response.htm" http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/oil-spill-response.htm

DOI Oil Spill Response - HYPERLINK "http://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/index.cfm" http://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/index.cfm

National Oil Spill Response - HYPERLINK "http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com" http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com

Oil Spill Safety Training - HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Conferences&id=1957" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Conferences&id=1957

[Mindi Rambo, Gulf Coast Oil Spill Response]

Yellowstone NP

Nine Injured In Old Faithful Lightning Strike

Nine park visitors were injured late Tuesday afternoon when they were struck by lightning. All were on the boardwalk or on walkways around Old Faithful Geyser when a small thunderstorm cell produced a single lightning bolt. Park staff immediately converged on the scene of the strike and began to triage the injured. Bystanders had started CPR on a 57-year-old man who was conscious and breathing when rangers arrived. He was taken to the Old Faithful Clinic, and then transported by an Air Idaho Rescue helicopter to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls. His condition was not available as of late Wednesday morning. An 18-year-old man complained of shortness of breath. He was also taken by ambulance to the Old Faithful Clinic, where we has treated and released. Six others with minor injuries had gathered next to the building under an overhang to get out of the rain and hail which was coming down at the time. They had various complaints of shortness of breath, tingling, or numbness. They were all taken to the Old Faithful Clinic where they were treated and released. A ninth individual walked into the Old Faithful Ranger Station and reported being struck by lightning, but did not seek medical attention. Hundreds of visitors witnessed the incident, as they were awaiting the next eruption of the famous geyser. [Al Nash, Public Affairs Officer]

Golden Gate NRA

Kite Surfer Rescued By Lifeguards But Dies At Hospital

Lifeguards Sean Scallon, Marty Magnussen and James Matthews saw a kite surfer waving his arms in apparent distress near Stairwell 16 on Ocean Beach on the afternoon of May 23rd. Matthews and Magnussen entered the surf and paddled out approximately 100 yards to his location. When they got there, they found the surfer face down in the water, unresponsive and entangled in his kite surfing equipment. Winds at the time were over 25 miles per hour and waves were 8 to 10 feet high. This made the recue more difficult, but he was brought to shore with assistance from Scallon. CPR was begun and an AED was employed. San Francisco Fire Department's surf rescue vehicle was on the beach at the time, so paramedics were soon on scene. He was taken to a hospital, where succumbed to severe brain swelling several days later. [Kim Coast, Acting Chief Ranger]

Golden Gate NRA

Two Drown In Sailboat Accident

Park dispatch broadcast a Coast Guard report of a sailboat near Cliff House with no occupants on board on the afternoon of May 23rd. Rangers and lifeguards responded and began searching the ocean from the land while the Coast Guard searched by air and water. Ranger John Goodwin soon found a man and woman on the rocky shore near Camelback Rocks. The woman was lying face down in the rocks, but Goodwin soon lost sight of the man. The Coast Guard helicopter lowered a rescue diver to the woman, and, with assistance from lifeguards and city fire department personnel, she was removed from the rocks. The man was eventually sighted again. Several efforts were made to extricate him from the rocks and pounding surf, but the retrieval effort became too dangerous and was called off. His body washed ashore on Ocean Beach the next day. The couple was from El Sobrante, California. Park Police detectives investigated the deaths. The weather and high seas at the time of the incident most likely were factors. [Kim Coast, Acting Chief Ranger]

Dinosaur NM

Swimmer Rescued From Green River

Two college-age students camping with their geology class decided to swim across the Green River at the Split Mountain boat ramp at 6:30 a.m. on May 18th. River flows were high at the time, running about 7,000 cubic feet per second, and the water temperature was in the mid-fifties. They were each clothed in shorts and shoes; neither had a life jacket. One turned back soon after starting and made it back to shore, but the other ended up across the river on a small sandbar against the Split Mountain rock face. Members of the group attempted their own rescue by tying an individual to a rope. When he entered the water, the current jerked the rope out of the hands of two of the three people holding it, while the third suffered rope burns to his hands. As the flow caught the “rescuer,” the rope became taut and he was forced to the bottom of the river. Fortunately he was able to employ a knife to cut himself free, and was helped back to shore. Meanwhile, other members of the group contacted an interpretive ranger, who reported the incident via radio. Ranger Zach Parkes arrived within minutes and assumed incident command. Resource management “weed warrior” Kelly Kager arrived with an inflatable kayak, extra life jacket, and helmet, and after a safety system was set up downstream, she paddled across the river and was able to return the swimmer to the campground via boat. He was evaluated for hypothermia and injuries. All other party members refused medical attention. [Kathy Krisko, Acting Chief Ranger]

OTHER NEWS

The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS:

National Capital Region - The National Park Service hosted a number of ceremonies and events in Washington over the Memorial Day weekend, including traditional remembrances at the World War II Memorial and Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Monday.

Workplace Enrichment - A new hiring authority has been established for Public Lands Corps alumni. it grants noncompetitive hiring sttus to former PLC members who've served a minimum of 960 hours of satisfactory service on an appropriate conservation project with at least 120 PLC hours.

Natural Resource Program Center - After ten years in operation, the Exotic Plant Management Team program is currently undergoing a programmatic review. Photo.

To see these and other stories posted on InsideNPS (or NPS Digest, its public version), click on one or the other of the following links (please note that not all stories in the former appear in the latter):

NPS employees: HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index

Non-NPS employees: HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/

NPS serious incident submission standards can be found at the following web site: HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/notify" http://inside.nps.gov/notify

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Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).

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