NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Thursday, July 21, 2011

INCIDENTS

Yosemite NP

Three Visitors Swept Over Vernal Fall

Three visitors are presumed dead after plunging over Vernal Fall on Tuesday afternoon. H.D., 22, N.Y., 27, and R.B., 21, all from California, came to the park for a day trip with a group of family and friends. They were seen entering the water above Vernal Fall, approximately 25 feet from the precipice. Witnesses reported to park officials that several people urged them to step back from the river, since it was flowing swiftly and was extremely cold. The area is signed as a dangerous area, and the group had crossed a metal guardrail placed there to keep visitors away from the dangerous, fast-moving water. The park is still seeing the effects of a huge winter snowpack and a cool spring and summer. The Merced River, which feeds the 317-foot-high Vernal Fall, is still running at spring conditions with significant water levels, producing a swift, dangerous current. The hike up the Mist Trail to Vernal Fall is one of the most popular hikes in the park, with upwards of 1,500 people per day ascending the trail to the top of Vernal Fall. There have been six water-related deaths in the park this year, including this incident. Two hikers drowned in the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir on June 29th and a hiker slipped and fell into the Merced River on the Mist Trail on May 13th. The Mist Trail was closed after the incident to facilitate search and rescue operations, but has since reopened. Search efforts are continuing, consisting primarily of combing each side of the Merced River looking for the victims. [Kari Cobb, Public Affairs Specialist]

Cape Hatteras NS

Girl Injured In Apparent Shark Attack

Ranger Shane Bryan was dispatched by the Hyde County Sheriff's Office to an area near off-road vehicle Ramp 72 on Tuesday afternoon to investigate a report of a person injured by a shark. He found Ocracoke paramedics treating a six-year-old girl for injuries to her lower right leg and foot. The girl's father told Bryan that an unidentified witness had told him he'd seen a four- to five-foot shark knock his daughter out of the water with her leg in the shark's mouth. He also said that his daughter was near the shore with a boogie board in about 18 inches of water when the incident occurred. She was stabilized and flown by medical helicopter to Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville for further treatment. The father, who is a medical doctor, told Bryan that he believed his daughter would be fine based on his view of the injuries. [Paul Stevens, Chief Ranger]

Wright Brothers NM

Fire Damages Park Visitor Center

Staff working in the park visitor center yesterday afternoon smelled smoke in a room that houses the replica Wright 1903 flyer and glider. A 911 call was made and the building was evacuated. The Kill Devil Hills and Colington fire departments responded along with the park's wildland fire crew; rangers arrived shortly thereafter and secured the area. Active fire was found in the electric motor of an air handler and in the ceiling in the northeast corner of the room and was quickly brought under control. The building sustained some smoke and water damage. Firefighters employed fans to clear the smoke from the building. Evaluations of the damage to the building, glider, flyer and paintings housed in the room are being conducted at this time. Maintenance staff reported that the air handler was from an old heating and air conditioning system that was no longer in use, but that electrical power to the old air handlers had not been turned off when the new HVAC system was activated. The visitor center will remain closed, probably until at least tomorrow. [Paul Stevens, 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/):

Wright Brothers NM - The 33rd annual Wright Kite Festival was held in Wright Brothers National Memorial last weekend. The event included free stunt kite and power kite lessons, kite building and kite flying for children, giant single line kites, and parachute races. Photo.

Manassas NBP - The incident command team assembled at Manassas National Battlefield is making final preparations for the four-day observance of the 150th anniversary commemoration of the First Battle of Manassas, which will begin this morning with a ceremony at Henry Hill.

Office of Public Health - The Office of Public Health has announced the ten inaugural awardees for the Modern-Day Mather Hike micro-grants program, which is modeled on hikes Stephen Mather organized to promote the creation of the NPS.

Big Cypress NP - Big Cypress has implemented a designated trail system for the Corn Dance Unit that ORV users must utilize, effective tomorrow. The trail system will in effect eliminate any dispersed ORV access within the original preserve. Photo.

Yellowstone NP - Steven Iobst has been named deputy superintendent of Yellowstone National Park. He will assume his new duties on July 31st. Photo.

Southeast Utah Group - Longtime NPS employee and friend Chris Moore passed away at his home in Thompson, Utah, on July 17th.

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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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