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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Thursday, August 11, 2011 INCIDENTS Glacier NP Hiker Injured In Bear Attack Treated And Released The 50-year-old hiker who was attacked by a grizzly bear last Friday ( HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewincidentsarticle&type=Incidents&id=5808" click here for the original incident report) was treated and released later that day and continued with his travel itinerary. His injuries - bites to his left thigh and left forearm - were not life threatening. The hiker was hiking alone on the trail from Many Glacier to Piegan Pass when he was attacked by a grizzly bear. When he rounded a bend in the trail, he surprised a sow grizzly with one sub-adult. The bear attacked the hiker, biting his left thigh and left forearm, then grabbed his foot, shook him, released him and left the area. The hiker said he was carrying bear spray, but was unable to employ it before the bear attacked and that he was making noise as he hiked. According to rangers, the bear's response to the hiker was defensive in nature and consistent with a surprise encounter with a hiker. No action will be taken against the bear. The trail from Piegan Pass to Feather Plume Falls remains closed, but will likely open by the end of the week. [Denise Germann, Public Affairs Specialist] New River Gorge NR Car Clout Suspects Caught In The Act A rash of 30 car clouts (vehicle break-ins) at rock climber parking lots bordering the park starting in about mid-July resulted in a joint investigation involving rangers and the Fayette County Sheriff's Department. Rangers deployed covert game cameras at one parking lot which resulted in a sequence of pictures showing suspects pulling in, deploying lookouts, looking into cars, smashing a window, and then driving away. Credit card checks showed use of stolen cards at local retail stores. Rangers and deputies canvassed these stores and located store video footage showing two men using the stolen credit cards. An interagency surveillance operation consisting of rangers and Fayette County deputies was coordinated that targeted four parking lots. On the afternoon of July 29th, the suspect vehicle photographed in a prior car clout pulled into a parking lot under surveillance. Two men matching the description of those filmed earlier in the week at the retail stores got out and began to case an unattended rock climber vehicle. One man walked into the woods and encountered the rangers conducting the surveillance and both were immediately contacted. They were identified as two Beckley men known to rangers and police from prior car clout and drug offenses. Both men are currently on parole for previous offenses. In a search of their vehicle, methamphetamine was also found. Rangers and deputies conducted interviews of both men, which resulted in confessions to a number of car clouts both in and out of the park. Rangers are continuing to build a case, including charges for vandalism, theft, conspiracy and credit card fraud. Preliminary dialogue with the US Attorney's Office's white collar crime division indicates that they are prepared to charge the suspects with felony 18 USC access device crimes and conspiracy. Eric Oaks is lead investigator for the park. [Jeff West, Chief Ranger] Lake Roosevelt NRA Divers Recover Body Of Drowned Teenager The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call on July 23rd reporting that a man who'd been swimming from the back of a boat had gone under and failed to resurface. A county marine unit was on scene within five minutes and was soon joined by rangers from Fort Spokane. Interviews revealed that the boat had been en route from the Lincoln Mill boat launch to the Seven Bays marina when two of the passengers jumped from the boat, which was moving at an estimated 25 to 30 miles per hour. The operator immediately turned around to retrieve them, but one of the men had gone under before he could get there. A search was begun and continue for several days. On July 26th, members of the Kootenai County Sheriff's Dive and Rescue Team and Gene Ralston of Ralston and Associates Underwater Search and Recovery deployed HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Side_scan_sonar" side-scan sonar units in the area where the man had disappeared. Ralston found the body in 130 feet of water within 15 minutes. The recovery was made with Ralston's HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remotely_operated_underwater_vehicle" remote operated vehicle (ROV) and the body was turned over to Lincoln County Sheriff's Office. [Bill Archard, District Ranger] Natchez Trace Parkway Man Killed In Single Vehicle Accident On the morning of August 5th, park dispatch received information regarding a single-vehicle accident that resulted in a fatality. J.L.S., 61, of Maben, Mississippi, was traveling northbound on a closed section of the parkway near milepost 204 when his GMC pickup struck a tree which had fallen across the road during the night. Rangers, Webster County deputies, and emergency medical and fire rescue units responded along with the Webster County coroner. J.L.S. was found dead at the scene. The cause of the accident remains under investigation. [Michael Foster, Public Affairs 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/): * * * * The Morning Report is a publication of the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, produced 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). --- ### --- |