NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Thursday, August 9, 2012

INCIDENTS

Mount Rainier NP

Body Found On Muir Snowfield

On Monday, August 6th, rapidly melting snow on the lower reaches of the Muir Snowfield revealed a man's body at the 8,000 foot level about a half mile above Pebble Creek. It appeared that the body had been under the snow for some time. A party descending from Camp Muir spotted the body within sight of the trail and notified rangers, who recovered it the following day. Although his identity has yet to be determined by the county medical examiner, it's possible that he may be one of the four climbers lost during storms last January. Warm weather is expected to continue rapidly melting snow in the area over the next month or two, which may uncover evidence related to the missing climbers. The search for the four missing climbers is still active and ongoing on a limited basis. Searches are conducted during scheduled flights in the park and as crews are in the area. [Patti Wold, PIO]

Grand Teton NP

Injured Hiker Rescued From Waterfalls Canyon

An injured hiker was rescued via helicopter from Waterfalls Canyon last Saturday afternoon. J.H., 21, fell about 20 feet while ascending the canyon just above Columbine Cascades. She was hiking with two companions when they decided to separate while J.H. hiked high off to the north side of the canyon to view geologic features before reuniting with them at Wilderness Falls. She fell vertically in a rocky area before coming to rest on a ledge, sustaining non-critical injuries. Due to her location and injuries, J.H. was unable to continue down the canyon. She radioed for help using a VHF radio typically carried on maritime vessels and watercraft. A park ranger on a routine patrol of Jackson Lake heard the transmission and notified dispatch. Rangers reached J.H. at 6:30 p.m., provided emergency medical care, and prepared her for a short-haul flight. J.H. was short-hauled from the location to a landing zone on the west shore of Jackson Lake before being transported across the lake on park patrol boat. She was met by a waiting park ambulance on the east shore and transported to St. John's Medical Center in Jackson for further care. [Jackie Skaggs, Public Affairs Officer]

Little River NP

Man Drowns After Jumping Into River

W.R., 54, and Alison Wesson, 34 were drinking alcoholic beverages at High Rock on the afternoon of August 7th when they decided to jump from High Rock Point into the river. The point is about ten feet above the water. W.R. never resurfaced. Fire technician Natalie Smith swam out with a life vest to Wesson, who was on a submerged rock formation, and helped her back to shore, where park guide and EMT Miranda Brown conducted an initial assessment on her. Chief ranger Troy Mueller made several surface dives, but was unable to find W.R.. The Fisher Rescue Dive Team was summoned and began a search for W.R.. His body was soon found and recovered. During the investigation, ranger Jon Newman determined that Wesson had a HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_alcohol_content" BAC of .394%. [Troy D. Mueller, Chief Ranger]

Redwood N&SP

Suicide Victim Found In Car At Park Overlook

On the morning of August 5th, rangers and Del Norte County authorities responded to a report of an unresponsive man in a vehicle at the scenic Klamath River Overlook in Redwood National and State Parks. The 68-year-old man, who was lying down in the backseat of a parked Mercedes sedan, was determined to be dead. Investigation revealed that he was the subject of an “at risk” missing person advisory. A final determination of the cause of death is pending investigation, but indications at the scene suggest a potential overdose of medications. The Del Norte Sheriff Office is leading the death investigation. [North District Ranger's Office]

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/):

Yosemite NP - A major retrofit and life safety project was recently completed on the 85-year-old Ahwahnee Hotel at Yosemite, one of the Service's historic great lodges. This undertaking provides a model for restorations of similar facilities in other parks.

Hot Springs NP - On Thursday, August 2nd, Hot Springs National Park hosted a workshop to explore Healthy Parks Healthy People opportunities at its Whittington Park, an area located in the midst of an established neighborhood.

Yosemite NP - Kris Kirby has been selected as the park's new chief of business and revenue management. She will be responsible for overseeing the Service's largest concession contract, as well as the park's complex fee management operation and special park uses.

Intermountain Region - Two NPS employees - Theresa Ely and Jane Anderson - walked the equivalent of a marathon to complete the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Rocky Mountains in the Summit County region of Colorado.

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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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