NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Monday, September 19, 2011

INCIDENTS

Mount Rainier NP

Body of Hiker Recovered From Below Christine Falls

On the evening of September 12th, a 59-year-old Florida man died in a 40-foot fall from the cliffs above Christine Falls while hiking with his adult son. The incident happened at dusk and by the time park rangers and members of Pierce County Fire District 23 arrived on scene it was too dark to safely conduct a recovery from the swift, glacier-fed waters of Van Trump Creek. During the night, the man's body was swept over the 69-foot-high double falls, coming to rest a hundred yards downstream. The recovery involved high angle technical climbers and was assisted by members of Tacoma Mountain Rescue, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, and the Tacoma Police Department. In all, over 30 responders were involved in the incident, which was led by Kraig Snure (IC). [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]

Yosemite NP

Crisis Negotiator Successfully Intervenes In Suicide Attempt

Park dispatch received a call on the evening of September 9th from a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, regarding an at-risk student. The 31-year-old man had been in cell phone contact with UC Berkeley Health Services throughout the afternoon and had reported that he was on top of a mountain and intended to kill himself. He did not provide a specific location, but, based on conversations in the past, the professor presumed that the student was on top of Half Dome. Rangers stationed in Little Yosemite Valley were directed to the top of Half Dome to attempt to locate the man. Special Response Team members, including ranger and crisis negotiator Rob Lewis, were also dispatched. While responders were en route, a hiker stopped one of the rangers to let him know about a friend of his who was threatening suicide on top of Half Dome. A telephone interview was conducted with the hiker, and Lewis used the information obtained to conduct a crisis negotiation with the man via text message. After a lengthy text message exchange, he called 911, said that he was okay, and asked for help. By this time rangers were arriving on the summit of Half Dome and they were able to secure and hold him while waiting for additional responders to assist in getting him safely down the cables. The man was escorted out of the backcountry, transported to an area medical facility, and held for evaluation. Statements he made during the hike out indicate that Lewis' text messages had caused him to change his mind about jumping. After interviewing the man, a doctor at the medical facility said that he was surprised that he hadn't jumped. [Kevin Killian, Deputy Chief Ranger]

Petrified Forest NP

Visitor Suffering From Heat Exposure Evacuated

A park visitor participating in a guided hike into the Painted Desert in mid-July started experiencing heat-related medical problems. The temperature at the time was in the mid-90s and humidity was higher than normal. Interpretive rangers and staff of Petrified Forest Museum Association provided immediate care, then helped responding rangers with a carryout from the floor of the Painted Desert to the trailhead, where an ambulance was waiting. The victim's condition eventually improved after being removed from the direct sun and receiving active cooling. One of the initial responders passed out and was injured after running from the floor of the Painted Desert to the trailhead. She was transported by ambulance to the nearest hospital, where she was treated for facial lacerations and broken teeth and released. An after-action review with the rescuers resulted in several excellent ideas for improvements in dealing with future similar incidents. [Greg Caffey, 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/):

Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front NHP - For the third year in a row, the “Rosie's Girls” program has served two dozen middle school girls in the Richmond, California, home of Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park. The program introduces young women to trades such as carpentry and welding.

Eastern National - Eastern National recently released its newest publication, a concise guide to African American history in the national parks.

National Historic Landmarks Program - Voting has begun in the twelfth annual National Historic Landmarks photo contest. A link is provided where you can register your selection. Photo.

Human Resources Operations Center - Long time NPS employee and consultant Diane Sontag died of cancer on September 12th. Photo.

Denver Service Center - Greg Tweed will be retiring on September 30th following 38 years of NPS service. Photo.

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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 the Assistant Director for Information Resources 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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