|
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Thursday, April 14, 2011 INCIDENTS New River Gorge NR Search For Missing Fisherman Suspended The search for fisherman D.H., missing since he and four other men fell into the New River when their boat capsized on April 3rd, was suspended at the end of Monday, April 11th. Two of the men were able to swim to shore after the accident, but D.H., P.M., and S.A. drowned in the river. The bodies of P.M. and S.A. were recovered during search operations on Monday, April 4th. Significant amounts of runoff from recent rains hampered recovery operations. Flows from Bluestone Dam and additional water coming in from Greenbrier River and other tributaries increased the flow in the search area to over 36,000 CFS for several days. Flows have not been lower than 12,500 CFS at any point since April 4th. A search dog did hit on an area of interest near where two of the other bodies were recovered, but boat teams were unable to locate D.H. due to the high water. Five boat teams - operated by the National Park Service, Department of Natural Resources, Green Sulfur Springs VFD, and Hinton VFD - employed sonar and river drags throughout the search of the muddy river. Other teams scoured the river banks and debris piles within the six mile long search area. The Beckley Fire Department, Forest Hill VFD, and Region 5 Dive Team also supported search efforts. Crews have fought fluctuating weather conditions, including snow and sleet, temperatures as high as 84 degrees, thunderstorms, and high winds. Additional rain is forecast for the remainder of this week. The Corps of Engineers does not expect to be able to reduce the discharge from the Bluestone Dam significantly at any point in the near future. Although the formal search has been suspended, boat patrols from the National Park Service and the Department of Natural Resources are conducting daily patrols of the area. When lower flow conditions resume, search effort will resume. The accident is under investigation by the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources and the National Park Service. [Jeff West, Chief Ranger] Fort Davis NHS Park To Reopen To The Public Today Fort Davis National Historic Site will reopen to the public today. Power, phones, internet, and email access have been restored. The park closed on April 9th when the HYPERLINK "http://www.inciweb.org/incident/2166/" Rock House Fire burned approximately 106 acres on the west side of the park. As yesterday morning, the fire had burned approximately 108,000 acres and was 60% contained. The six-person Bandelier Fire Module and an engine with a three-person crew from Big Bend National Park have made progress mopping up in the park. They found a few hotspots yesterday afternoon and will continue to patrol the fire line. A Type I incident management team yesterday assumed command of the HYPERLINK "http://inciweb.org/incident/2165/" Trans Pecos Complex of fires in 36 west Texas counties, including the Rock House Fire; Fort Davis National Historic Site and the neighboring Davis Mountains State Park currently comprise Division F ( HYPERLINK "http://tfsfrp.tamu.edu/wildfires/resources.pdf" PDF or HYPERLINK "http://ticc.tamu.edu/Home/GECop.htm" Google Earth Map of Texas Forest Service Incidents). A base camp for hundreds of firefighters has been set up at Fort Davis State Park. Several Fort Davis NHS employees have been assigned to the fire to help with logistics, ground support, and provide assistance in the local community. See the fire report in today's publication for additional details. [Michelle Fidler, NPS Fire Communication and Education Specialist] 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/): National World War II Memorial - Former Senate Majority Leader Robert J. Dole was honored on Tuesday for his longtime support for veterans and his instrumental role in establishing the World War II Memorial. A plaque was installed near the memorial recognizing his efforts in both arenas. Workplace Enrichment - A new roadmap has been prepared to leadership and supervision courses currently available via DOI Learn. Oregon NHT - The Service is seeking public comments concerning 64 historic routes that are being evaluated for possible addition to the existing Oregon, California, Pony Express, and Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trails. * * * * Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of Communications and the Office of the Chief Information Officer. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov). --- ### --- |