|
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Monday, October 3, 2011 INCIDENTS Sequoia and Kings Canyon NPs Multi-Agency Search Suspended When Missing Hiker Reappears An extended search for a man overdue from a hike in Kings Canyon came to a conclusion on Saturday evening when he reappeared in Bishop, California. J.W. began his trip at the Bishop Pass trailhead on Saturday, September 17th, intending to conclude his hike on the following Friday. His planned itinerary included Simpson Meadow, Tehipite Valley, Crown Valley, Blue Canyon, and the John Muir Trail between Evolution Valley and LeConte Canyon. When he failed to return as planned, a search was begun. As of last Friday, the park had committed 45 people to the operation, which was supported by searchers from the Fresno County Sheriff's Office, Tulare County Sheriff's Office, Kern County Sheriff's Office (China Lake Rescue Unit), San Mateo County Sheriff's Office (Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit), Inyo National Forest, and the California Rescue Dog Association. Although more than a week overdue, J.W. was in good health. [Dana Dierkes, Public Affairs Specialist] New River Gorge NR BASE Jumper Fined In Federal Court A BASE jumper who parachuted from the 876-foot-high New River Bridge in May of 2010 has been identified after a year-long investigation and has paid a substantial fine in federal court in West Virginia. BASE jumping is the act of using a parachute to jump from fixed objects, with the four-letter acronym standing for the four categories of objects from which one can jump - building, antenna, span, and earth. BASE jumping is a violation of 36 CFR, and is considered to be one of the most hazardous of parachuting techniques. An investigation was undertaken by rangers and a video of the jump was found on the internet within a few days. The BASE jumper in the video was identified as A.L., a professional athlete who has represented several organizations. A.L. left the state after the event and several agencies collaborated to track him down. Assistance was provided by the Littleton, Louisville, and Boulder Police Departments in Colorado and the NPS Investigative Services Branch in Denver. On September 14th, A.L. agree to settle the case by paying a fine of $650. [Jeff West, 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/): Servicewide - The National Park Service mourns the loss of former director Roger G. Kennedy, who passed away on September 30th, at the age of 85. Servicewide - The Office of Personnel Management is rebuilding USA Jobs and the system's “search and apply” functions will be offline from this Thursday to the following Thursday. Legislative and Congressional Affairs - This week's update on past and upcoming hearings and the status of legislation of interest to the National Park Service. Alaska Region - Rick Obernesser, a senior NPS manager with more than 30 years of experience in the field and the Washington Office, has been named superintendent of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. Photo. Chaco Culture NHP - Russ Bodnar is retiring as the chief of interpretation at Chaco Culture after 30 years with the National Park Service. Photo. * * * * 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). --- ### --- |