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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Tuesday, January 24, 2012 INCIDENTS Mount Rainier NP Search Efforts Aided By Good Weather A break between storms provided a weather window for significant ground and air operations in the search for two missing parties yesterday. Three aircraft conducted a major air search of the upper mountain including Ingraham, Cowlitz, and Paradise glaciers, the Muir Snowfield, and the summit. Air resources include an Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter, a contract Bell 206 helicopter with HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RECCO" RECCO from Northwest Helicopters, and a Washington State Patrol Cessna fixed wing with HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forward_looking_infrared" forward looking infrared. Seven ground teams searched the Sluiskin Falls area, Lower Paradise Glacier, Upper Stevens Canyon above Lake Louise, and Mazama Ridge. No sign of the two parties has been found over the seven day search period. The park is beginning to scale back the operation into an extended limited continuous search. Searches of remote areas of the park will be conducted when weather conditions permit in hopes that the parties were able to walk out. Search operations will not be conducted today due to expected winter storm conditions on the mountain. Forty-six NPS, VIP and AD personnel are currently assigned to the incident. The Western Incident Management Team (Denny Ziemann IC) is managing the incident. Operations will transition back to the park tomorrow. [Patti Wold, IO] Little River Canyon NP Three Rescued From Car Swept Down River A family of four was attempting to drive across the rain swollen Little River last Thursday evening when their vehicle was swept downstream. At daylight, one of the adults swam to the riverbank and walked out, reporting the accident about 8:30 a.m. Rangers began a hasty search, locating the vehicle approximately 100 yards downstream from Hartline Ford. A coordinated rescue was begun with personnel from the park, Fisher Rescue Squad, and Adamsburg Fire Department, supported by two Alabama State Police helicopters. The two children, ages two and four, and one adult were safely airlifted from the vehicle. They were taken to the DeKalb County Hospital for evaluation. All four were treated and released. Ranger David Walker is investigating. Charges are pending. [Troy Mueller, Chief Ranger] Yosemite NP Rockfall Closes Big Oak Flat Road Due to a large rockfall that occurred late on Sunday evening, the Big Oak Flat Road (the continuation of Highway 120) is closed in Yosemite National Park. The road is closed between the Foresta Junction on Highway 120 (Big Oak Flat Road) and the Highway 120/140 (El Portal Road) Junction. It will remain closed indefinitely. The National Park Service, along with the Federal Highways Administration, is assessing the damage and working on a plan to repair the road. Yosemite National Park remains open, and Yosemite Valley is accessible via Highways 140 and 41. [Public Affairs] Saguaro NP Driver Killed In Head-on Collision On the evening of January 19th, a three car accident occurred on Picture Rocks Road, a two-lane roadway within the park boundary, near the Contzen Pass area. One person was killed and a second injured. An initial investigation revealed that the driver of a Chevrolet Tahoe was driving westbound and drifted into oncoming traffic and collided with two other vehicles, causing extensive damage to the passenger compartment. The female driver and lone occupant of the Tahoe died at the scene. One of the drivers from another vehicle was taken to a hospital for minor injuries and released. The Pima County Sheriff's Department is conducting the investigation. [Paul Austin, Acting 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/): Women's Rights NHP - Archeologists working this year at “Grassmere,” the Seneca Falls home of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, social activist and leading figure in the early women's movement, have uncovered details of what the house and grounds looked like when Stanton lived there. Assateague Island NS - Assateague Island National Seashore and Cape Cod National Seashore have been able to precisely locate survey control points through a recently completed GPS height modernization process. Cuyahoga Valley NP - The park has received $3.2 million from the Federal Transit Administration to fund five projects to improve visitor services to the park's alternative transportation system, the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Office of Communications - Christine Arato has been selected as the program coordinator for the bicentennial commemoration of the War of 1812, which will run from this June until June 2015. Fire Island NS - Paul Czachor, East District Ranger at Fire Island National Seashore, retired on December 31st after 32 years of seasonal and permanent employment with the National Park Service. * * * * 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). --- ### --- |