NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Thursday, June 9, 2011

INCIDENTS

Denali NP&P

Three Climbers Rescued From High On Mt. McKinley

Three separate climbers, each of whom was suffering from severe altitude-related illness, were rescued using helicopter short-haul technique from approximately 19,000 feet on Mt. McKinley on Monday night. Ranger Tucker Chenoweth and four patrol volunteers were descending from a summit of Mt. McKinley on Monday evening when they encountered an HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ataxia" ataxic solo climber at 19,300 feet. As the patrol approached, 27-year-old Serbian climber Z.D. was staggering and then collapsed due to altitude-related illness. The NPS patrol attempted to walk the climber down, but he was too ill to safely descend. At the time, the park's A-Star B3 helicopter was at the Kahiltna Basecamp, having just completed flights related to a resource management project. After a high altitude reconnaissance flight, pilot Andy Hermansky flew to the sick climber and Chenoweth secured him to the end of the short-haul rope using a ‘screamer suit' or fabric harness, for the flight to the 14,200-foot camp. While this rescue was in progress, a second individual, 22-year-old S.T. of Japan, approached the NPS patrol and similarly collapsed due to altitude sickness. S.T., who was travelling solo, was also non-ambulatory. The A-Star B3 helicopter returned to 19,300 feet and short-hauled him to the 14,200-foot camp using the screamer suit. Once at the camp, the helicopter landed and internally loaded the two patients for evacuation to the Kahiltna Basecamp at 7,200 feet. Meanwhile, Chenoweth and his patrol members had continued their descent, only to encounter a third non-ambulatory, semi-conscious climber at 18,700 feet. Masaaki Kobayasi, 20, also from Japan, was a member of the same original expedition as S.T., though was travelling solo when found. After a rapid medical assessment, it was again determined that a helicopter rescue was necessary. Hermansky returned to 18,700 feet for the third rescue at about 10:40 p.m., then short-hauled the patient to 14,200 feet, internally loaded him, and then flew him to the Kahiltna Basecamp. Chenoweth's cold and tired patrol descended to the 17,200-foot camp without further incident. Two of the three patients were transported to an area hospital via LifeMed air ambulance. Z.D. refused further medical treatment and was released from care at Basecamp. As of Tuesday, 556 climbers were attempting Mt. McKinley. A total of 251 climbers had completed their ascents, 54% of whom reached the summit. Due to warming temperatures and some modest snowfall, the climbing conditions at high elevations have improved since four climbers died as a result of falls in mid- to late May. [Maureen McLaughlin, Public Information Officer]

Lake Meredith NRA

Seven-Year-Old Girl Rescued After Falling Off Raft

On the evening of June 6th, ranger Brandon Dunham received a call from a local police dispatcher regarding a seven-year-old girl was floating away from shore on an air mattress near Fritch Fortress. The Fritch police chief also heard the call and responded. When he arrived, he found the parents frantic, as the wind had pushed the girl further out into the lake. Dunham drove to the ranger station and hauled a patrol boat down to the Sanford Yake boat ramp, presently the park's only functioning ramp. The chief advised Dunham that the girl had fallen off the air mattress and added that he was having trouble spotting her in the high waves. Dunham headed to the last point where he'd seen her and found the girl on her back, treading water, just as she had learned to do when she took swimming lesions last summer. She was very cold and exhausted from treading water in the waves. Dunham took her to the awaiting ambulance at Fritch Fortress, where she was checked out by paramedics and released to her parents. [Paul Jones, Chief Ranger]

Prince William Forest Park

Two Suicide Victims Found In Park In Successive Months

On the afternoon of May 1st, rangers received a radio report from Prince William County police of a possible suicide that had occurred in a section of the park along the northern boundary. Arriving rangers learned that a man had hung himself from a tree within the park. The deceased was recently reported missing and was living in a residential area that borders the park. Foul play was not suspected. Rangers assisted the county police with perimeter security, scene management and recovery. Early on June 2nd, a citizen contacted a park employee and reported seeing the body of a man on a trail off Scenic Drive. Rangers and park personnel found the body of a 29-year-old man with a self-inflicted gunshot wound along the South Valley Trail. He was pronounced dead at the scene by responding county paramedics. Prince William County officers handled the investigation and rangers again assisted with scene security and recovery efforts. [Cynthia Sirk-Fear, 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/):

Grand Teton NP - On Saturday, wranglers will drive a herd of about 250 cattle westward from Pinto Ranch using a right of way along Highway 26/287 through the park. The objective is to move the cattle from a traditional allotment at Elk Ranch where there are potential seasonal conflicts with bears and wolves to safer pastures.

Indiana Dunes NL - Parents Magazine has named West Beach at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore as one of America's “Ten Best Beaches for Families” for this year. Photo.

Park Facility Management Division - The NPS has announced the recipients of its 2011 Environmental Achievement Awards, which honor outstanding accomplishments in the preservation and protection of park resources.

Joshua Tree NP - Search and rescue operations at Joshua Tree National Park just got a little bit easier thanks to the donation of a utility vehicle by the non-profit Friends of Joshua Tree to Joshua Tree National Park. Photo.

Midwest Region - Patty Trap has been selected as the deputy regional director for Midwest Region. Trap is currently the superintendent of both Salem Maritime and Saugus Iron Works in Massachusetts. Photo.

Intermountain Region - Jim Ireland has been named superintendent of Timpanogos Cave National Monument. He EOD's on July 17th. Photo.

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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).

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