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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Monday, June 18, 2012 INCIDENTS Denali NP&P Four Climbers Presumed Dead In Avalanche An avalanche on Mt. McKinley's West Buttress during the early morning hours of June 14th is presumed to have claimed the lives of four Japanese climbers. The five-member Miyagi Workers Alpine Federation (MWAF) expedition was descending Motorcycle Hill near 11,800 feet at 2 a.m. last Thursday morning when an avalanche swept them all downhill. The five were travelling as one rope team, although the rope broke during the avalanche. One team member survived the event. H.O., 69 of Miyagi Prefecture, was swept into a crevasse and subsequently climbed out with minor injuries. H.O. was unable to locate his teammates in the avalanche debris. Throughout the day, he descended solo to the Kahiltna base camp at 7,200 feet, where he reported the accident shortly after 4 p.m. That evening, two rangers flew to the avalanche path in the park's A-Star B3 helicopter to conduct an aerial hasty search. There was no sign of the missing climbers or their gear in the avalanche debris. In light of the time elapsed, it is presumed that the four perished in the accident. Rangers and volunteers began probing the debris zone on Friday to look for signs of the climbers. The four missing climbers are Y.K., 64, Ma.S., 50, Mi.S., 56, and T.S., 63. All are from Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. As of June 16th, there were 395 mountaineers attempting routes on Mt. McKinley, the majority on the West Buttress route. Out of the 630 climbers who have already returned from expeditions this season, 234 reported reaching the summit, equating to a 37% summit rate. Substantial snowfall and windy conditions in recent weeks have kept most climbers from reaching the top. [Maureen McLaughlin, PIO] Padre Island NS Seasonal Biotech Saves Child's Life On Tuesday, June 12th, seasonal biotech Angela Trnka was patrolling for sea turtles and came upon a two-and-a-half year old unconscious child. The child, who was accompanied by his mother and two young siblings, apparently ran into the surf unexpectedly and was knocked down by a wave. During the time before his mother recovered him, he swallowed a substantial amount of seawater and lost consciousness. Trnka called for emergency assistance, performed infant/child CPR on him, and was able to clear the child's airway and restore breathing. Her quick action and professional response, along with the assistance of the rangers who responded, undoubtedly saved the child's life. Based upon follow-up stories in the local media, the child is apparently doing well and is recovering from the accident. [Travis Poulson, Chief Ranger] Grand Teton NP Vehicle Collision Results In Fatality A two-vehicle collision last Thursday resulted in the death of J.R.G., 59, of Rochester Hills, Michigan. The collision between a Chevy Camaro, driven by J.R.G., and an older model Ford F350 pickup truck occurred just after noon on Highway 89/287 near the Oxbow Bend of the Snake River. J.R.G.'s wife, the only passenger in the vehicle, was also injured and transported to St. John's Medical Center in Jackson. The driver and passenger of the Ford pickup were not taken to the hospital for medical treatment. An investigation into the circumstances of the collision is being conducted by park rangers and Wyoming Highway Patrol. [Jackie Skaggs, Public Affairs Officer] Bandelier NM Campground Closed Following Bear Incident Early last Wednesday morning, a black bear swatted at a tent occupied by a sleeping juvenile who was camping with his family in Ponderosa Campground. The tent was torn and the bear's claws grazed the back of the juvenile's neck, causing a minor abrasive injury. The family immediately left the campground. Rangers were informed of the incident later that morning. Bandelier natural resources staff and park rangers worked closely with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish to determine the proper course of action to take. In accord with both National Park Service and state policies, efforts were begun to remove the bear. Ponderosa Campground will be closed for up to ten days, pending capture and removal of a black bear. [Chris Judson] 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/): Central High School NHS - StoryCorps, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to recording, preserving, and sharing the stories of Americans from all backgrounds and beliefs, recorded interviews in Little Rock from March 29th to April 28th as part of its cross-country tour. Learning and Development Division - The Albright-Wirth Grant program is recruiting interested employees to serve as volunteer grant proposal reviewers. NPS LETC - The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center held its 27th annual ceremony on Thursday, May 31th, honoring those FLETC graduates who have lost their lives in the performance of duty. Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs - This week's update on past and upcoming hearings, newly introduced bills, and the status of legislation of interest to the National Park Service. This report covers activities during the week ending on June 15th. Office of Risk Management - Gabrielle Fisher has been selected as the first Servicewide health and wellness program manager, reporting to the chief of the Office of Risk Management. * * * * 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). --- ### --- |