NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Thursday, January 20, 2011

INCIDENTS

Carlsbad Caverns NP

Destructive, Mentally Disturbed Man Taken Into Custody

On the morning of Sunday, January 16th, a call was received by the park communications center from a concession employee regarding an individual in the cave vomiting and vandalizing park property. Rangers Lemons, Gray and Schwartz responded and found a 20-year-old man in a significantly altered mental state. He told them that he had a history of schizophrenia, that he was not taking his prescribed medication, and that he had consumed several brownies containing marijuana earlier that day. He'd overturned a large cabinet containing caving helmets and kicked open and damaged a wooden gate to the off-trail cave orientation area. He'd also attempted to grab one of the rangers by the throat, but she was able to successfully use control techniques to restrain him. Carlsbad Fire Department paramedics and Eddy County Sheriff's Office deputies were called to assist. The man was detained until his relatives could be located in the cave. They administered his medication, after which he was voluntarily taken for a psychiatric evaluation. Ranger Schwartz is the lead on the case. [Lila Mohesky-Roybal, Chief Ranger]

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/):

Fort Pulaski NM - Over 200 visitors watched as the 34-star United States flag was lowered and the Georgia flag of secession was raised over Fort Pulaski on January 2nd, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the seizure of the United States fort by Georgia state troops in the months leading up to the Civil War.

Jean Lafitte NHP&P - Visitors, local dignitaries, and park partners joined NPS staff to open the new Chalmette Battlefield and National Cemetery Visitor Center on the anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans.

Stephen T. Mather Training Center - David Larsen, the training manager for interpretation and education at Mather Training Center, died unexpectedly this past Monday. Photo.

Lava Beds NM - Shawn Price, 43, passed away on January 14th at his family home in Osage, Wyoming, after a brief but heroic fight against pancreatic cancer. Photo.

Coalition of National Park Service Retirees - The executive council of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees has awarded the coalition's 2011 George Hartzog award to Shelton Johnson, a ranger at Yosemite National Park.

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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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