NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Monday, June 7, 2010

INCIDENTS

Yellowstone NP

Search Continues For Missing Man

Rangers and investigators are still hoping the public can help with the ongoing search for a man missing since last Monday morning. A rental car belonging to 25-year-old P.K., of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was discovered at the Hellroaring Trailhead in the north central section of the park early on the morning of Monday, May 31st. He had not applied for a permit to camp out overnight in the backcountry at one of the many campsites along the trail system in the area which leads to and parallels the Yellowstone River. A subsequent investigation revealed that the red Cadillac STS sedan with Oklahoma plates had been rented a month earlier and was two weeks overdue. Family members who were then contacted reported they had not been in touch with P.K. in recent weeks, and reported him missing. P.K. is described as standing 6 foot, 1 inch tall, weighing 185 pounds, and having brown hair and hazel eyes. Based upon information from his family, he was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps after serving for four years. During his service, he was injured twice by improvised explosive devices while serving in Iraq. He had moved to Oklahoma City from the Minneapolis - St. Paul, Minnesota, area to attend college. His family is concerned about his mental state, and said he was suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome related to his injuries. A series of searches by ground teams and dog teams have failed to turn up any clues to his whereabouts, as has a call for the public to report any sightings of P.K. in the area prior to Monday morning. Investigators still believe he is in the park. Search efforts were slated to ramp up again over the weekend, as ground searchers and dog teams again focused on the backcountry northwest of Tower Junction. Cloudy, rainy weather, a low ceiling, and a lack of a focused search area has led searchers to focus efforts on the ground rather than utilizing helicopters or fixed wing aircraft. There is a chance, however, that P.K. is no longer in Yellowstone. Investigators in the area are asking anyone who may have seen or been in contact with P.K. in recent weeks to call Yellowstone National Park at 307-344-7381. [Al Nash, Public Affairs Officer]

Whiskeytown NRA

Rangers Rescue Horse From Park Canyon

On the afternoon of May 29th, a spooked horse ran away from its owner and headed north in the park until it found an accessible spot to enter Clear Creek, where it proceeded to walk and mostly swim downstream to a canyon area with steep hillsides. Two fishermen there led the horse to shore and were able to connect with T.D., the horse's owner. She tried three times to lead the horse, named “Dakota,” up the hillside, but it proved to be too steep. Rangers were called for assistance. When they arrived, they found the horse on a ledge about 40 feet below the trail along Clear Creek. The rangers constructed a haul line system and one attempt was made to raise the 1100-pound horse before dark, but the horse was too exhausted to climb during the raising attempt. Rescue efforts were discontinued until the next morning. T.D. tended the horse through the night. In the morning, rangers returned and rigged a haul system to haul the horse out. They were assisted on scene by a veterinarian, a county animal regulations supervisor, and a county officer. After onsite instruction, several bystanders and family members assisted with the haul team. At about 11 a.m., “Dakota” was successfully raised up the 50-60 degree, 40-foot-high slope. The horse was able to walk back to the trailhead without further assistance. IC for the operation was Chris Mengel, custom horse harness builder was Charles Hardy. [Jim Richardson, Chief Ranger]

Lake Roosevelt NRA

Four Injured In UTV Rollover Accident

Four women were injured on the evening of May 29th when the UTV they were riding on Miles Road went over an embankment and rolled approximately 100 feet before coming to rest. All four women were ejected from the vehicle; none were wearing seatbelts. South District rangers Scott Goninan and Colleen Whaley responded along with Lincoln County Sheriff's deputies and local volunteer fire department personnel and EMT's. The driver was severely injured and airlifted to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. A passenger was transported to Lincoln Hospital, while the others refused treatment. The accident is being investigated by the National Park Service and Washington State Patrol. [Marty Huseman, Chief Ranger]

OTHER NEWS

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

Harry S Truman NHS - The Truman Home, which has been closed since last October, recently reopened following the completion of extensive upgrades and repairs - the largest preservation effort at the home since the park was established in 1983.

Office of the Chief Information Officer - The Department of Interior has issued guidance about the preservation of documents - both electronic and hardcopy - related to the oil spill incident in the Gulf of Mexico. A list of frequently asked questions about preservation of such documents is included.

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

Midwest Region - Stan Austin, currently superintendent at Glen Canyon, has been selected as the new superintendent of Cuyahoga Valley. He will assume his new assignment on August 22nd. 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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