NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Monday, June 13, 2011

INCIDENTS

Apostle Islands NL

Kayaker Succumbs To Hypothermia After Capsizing

Four college friends left the Little Sand Bay boat launch on the afternoon of June 7th to kayak to a campsite on Sand Island three miles away. Rangers had advised the kayakers that a small craft advisory had been posted for that area that forecast northeast winds of 20 to 25 knots and waves of from three to five feet. One of the kayaks began taking on water about a mile from the island and soon became submerged, causing the kayaker to abandon his vessel. A second kayaker, K.D., 20, turned back to assist and capsized while doing so. The remaining two kayaker were able to help the first, but soon lost sight of K.D, who they last saw straddling his kayak and holding a paddle. One of them returned to Little Sand Bay and reported the incident to a campground host. The NPS notified the Bayfield County Sheriff's Department and a multi-agency search was begun. There were three- to five-foot-high waves on the lake during the search and the water temperature was in the mid-40s. The two kayakers on Sand Island were picked up by a park boat and returned to short. The crew of a Coast Guard vessel found K.D floating in the water near Sand Point. Efforts to revive him were unavailing. The county coroner subsequently determined that he'd succumbed to hypothermia. [Myra Foster, Acting Chief Ranger]

Grand Canyon NP

Rafter Dies In Colorado River After Boating Accident

Rangers recovered the body of 39-year-old J.J.W. Jr., of Lexington, South Carolina, last Thursday following a boating accident on the Colorado River. J.J.W. was part of a six-person private river trip that launched from Lees Ferry on Sunday, June 5th, with a scheduled take out at Pearce Ferry on June 22nd. Early reports indicate that they were traversing Hance Rapid when one of two row boats flipped, dumping the three occupants into the river. One person swam to shore and a second was able to stay with the boat and eventually make it back to shore, but J.J.W. was carried downriver. A passing commercial trip operated by Hatch River Expeditions found him face down in the water below Hance Rapid. He was pulled from the river and CPR was conducted for 45 minutes before an on-scene physician pronounced him dead. The body was recovered and flown to the South Rim. An investigation is underway. [Maureen Oltrogge, Public Affairs Officer]

Zion NP

Hiker Rescued From Hidden Canyon

On June 8th, a 30-year-old visitor from the Netherlands fell approximately 10 feet onto his head while down-climbing a slick rock section along the Hidden Canyon route. A visitor who was in the vicinity of the fall ran out to the entrance of the canyon and located another visitor at with cell service to report the incident. A technical rescue operation began that involved 27 park staff. Responders carried the man over difficult terrain out to the mouth of the canyon in a litter. Once carried out of the steep-walled, narrow section of the route, Grand Canyon's helicopter and flight crew were able to short-haul him from a high ridge to a waiting NPS ambulance. [Brandon Torres, Canyon District Ranger]

Denali NP&P

Mountaineer Dies At High Camp

A climber died of apparent cardiac arrest at the 17,200-foot high camp on Mt. McKinley on the morning of Friday, June 10th. According to his tent mates, B.Y., 52, of Kodiak, Alaska, came into the tent to go to sleep after an arduous 20-hour summit day and suddenly stopped breathing. The tent mates immediately notified the NPS mountaineering patrol stationed at high camp who began CPR. B.Y. did not regain a pulse and was pronounced dead by an NPS volunteer physician's assistant at high camp. B.Y.'s body will be recovered from high camp when weather permits. [Maureen McLaughlin, Public Information Officer]

Shenandoah NP

Four Sentenced For Planting Poaching

Earlier this spring, D.M., a forest health bio-technician for the park, reported seeing two couples collecting plants off the Jones Mountain Trail. D.M. provided excellent information, which allowed rangers to contact A.K., 73, W.M., 73, J.K., 69, and Y.N., 65, at the trailhead and confiscate four sacks containing a total of 35 pounds of plant material (interrupted fern, large leaved aster, and blue cohosh). All four were cited for violation of preservation of natural resources/gathering plants. On June 7th, all four pleaded guilty and received a one year ban from all parks and forests in the Western District of Virginia. Each was also ordered to pay $235 in restitution. [Pete Webster, Deputy 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/):

Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP - The largest water rights volume since a court-adjudicated decree in 2008 was delivered to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park on June 8th.

Conservation and Outdoor Recreation - Thirteen national parks have received grants from the National Park Foundation to support interactive and engaging projects that will strengthen Americans' connection with their national parks. Photo.

Legislative and Congressional Affairs - This week's update on past and upcoming hearings and the status of legislation pertinent to the NPS.  Included in this week's summary are three new bills and upcoming committee oversight hearings on the proposed Waco Mammoth NM and on NAGPRA.

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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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