NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

INCIDENTS

Katmai NP&P

Search Continues For Missing Plane, Employees

The search for a missing airplane with four people aboard - three of them NPS employees - enters its fifth day today, with no sign of the aircraft yet discovered. The single engine floatplane, a de Havilland Beaver operated by Branch River Air Service in King Salmon, has been missing since Saturday afternoon. The missing employees are HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/katm/parknews/katmai-missing-plane-employees.htm" Mason McLeod, 26, and brothers Neal Spradlin, 28, and Seth Spradlin, 20. The pilot is Marco Alletto, 47, from King Salmon. Yesterday, searchers expanded the southern and southwestern boundaries of the search area. Coast Guard efforts focused on areas around Becharoff Lake, Kejulik Pass, Katmai Pass, and the park coastline north to McNeil River River, covering a five mile buffer over the water. Areas not previously covered to the northeast continue to be searched. The weather in the primary search area was excellent, with largely clear skies and excellent visibility. Eight aircraft - two helicopters and six fixed wing - participated in the search on Tuesday. The multi-agency effort includes the National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Alaska State Troopers, U.S. Coast Guard, Egli Air Haul, and Branch River Air. Other air taxi operators taking clients to the area have also informally joined the search. The National Park Service has a regional incident management team in place at the park's King Salmon headquarters to help the park coordinate the search. Most aircraft involved in the search are equipped with GPS tracking devices which allow the search managers to plot areas that have been intensely searched, along with areas that need a closer examination. Helicopters searched the coast of Katmai from Katmai Bay to Swikshak Bay yesterday morning on the chance that the missing aircraft began an unexpected route back to King Salmon on Saturday afternoon; no sign of the missing plane was found. There has been a gallant response from the pilot community with offers to assist in search efforts. Due to safety and communication concerns, pilots are asked to contact the dispatch office at 907-246-3305 to coordinate any search efforts. This will not only enhance the geographical area of the search but relieve pilots for periods of rest. The search began late Saturday afternoon after the Beaver failed to return to King Salmon. Two planes owned by Branch River Air Service in King Salmon flew to Swikshak Lagoon on Saturday to pick up an NPS maintenance crew working there. preparing for the reconstruction of an old ranger station. Three people were picked up by the Beaver at 1:45 p.m., and a second plane left Swikshak 15 minutes later. The second plane, with two employees and pilot on board, returned safely but had to fly much of the way 500 feet above ground level due to deteriorating weather conditions. An emergency response was begun through the Rescue Coordination Center on Saturday afternoon. There have been no radio or emergency locator transmitter transmissions. Katmai N.P is about 300 miles southwest of Anchorage - click on HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/katm/parknews/katmai-missing-plane-map.htm" this link for maps of the park and of the routes flown in the search to date. [John Quinley, Public Affairs Officer, Alaska Region]

Denali NP&P

Search Underway For Missing Hiker

An aerial search of routes and trails in the vicinity of the Eielson Visitor Center is underway for missing day hiker J.M., 54, of Jasper, Georgia. On Sunday, August 22nd, J.M. took a park concessioner-operated shuttle bus that departed the Wilderness Access Center at 6:15 a.m., bound for the Eielson Visitor Center, which is located at Mile 66 on the park road. He was seen at the visitor center that morning, heading north up the Alpine Trail towards the Thorofare Ridge. The Alaska State Troopers notified the park on Monday that J.M. had not arrived at a Fairbanks hotel on Sunday as he had planned and had not appeared for a meeting on Monday. His car was found in the Wilderness Access Center parking lot and an investigation is underway. The air search continued until dark yesterday. Plans are being made to dispatch ground teams to search trails and likely routes near the point last seen. J.M. is in good health, and an experienced hiker. He weighs 150 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone who may have seen him in the park is asked to call the National Park Service emergency dispatch center at 907-683-9555. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]

Grand Canyon NP

One Killed, Two Seriously Injured In Truck Crash

A pickup truck crashed into a tree on Center Road on the South Rim on the evening of August 23rd. Responding rangers immediately closed the road from its intersection with the South Entrance Road to its intersection with Market Plaza in order to facilitate extrication of its three male occupants. Two of them were taken to Flagstaff Medical Center for treatment of serious injuries; the third was pronounced dead at the scene. The accident is being investigated by the National Park Service with the assistance of the Coconino County Sheriff's Office and the Arizona Department of Public Safety. [Shannan Marcak, Public Affairs Officer]

OTHER NEWS

The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS. To see the full text, including images, NPS employees should go to the InsideNPS home page ( HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index). Non-NPS employees can see most of them on the NPS Digest page ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/):

Director's Office - In honor of Founders Day, Director Jon Jarvis launches a blog today on InsideNPS. The director intends to make full use of this social media tool to keep in touch with employees, sharing his thoughts and listening to yours.

NPS History - Today is the National Park Service's birthday. On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the bill establishing the agency within the Department of the Interior.

National Interagency Fire Center - Earlier this month, NIFC received another report of a firefighter suffering from rhabdomyolysis, a medical condition in which skeletal muscle rapidly breaks down due to injury to muscle tissue. Guidance is provided on recognizing and dealing with it.

Office of Communications - Eastern National has launched its annual contest to select ten new images for the collectible Passport To Your National Parks® stamp series. Submissions are due by October 15th.

Pacific West Region - On July 31st, after 42 years of government service, Gordon S. Chappell retired from the National Park Service.

NPS incident submission standards can be found online at the HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custompages.cfm?prg=45&id=8728&lv=2&pgid=3504" serious incident notification web page.

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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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