NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

INCIDENTS

Glacier NP

Search For Missing Hikers Comes To Successful Conclusion

Searchers found missing hikers N.P. and J.H. in good condition yesterday afternoon. They were flown out of the backcountry and met family members anxiously awaiting their return. The two men went hiking on the east side of the park near Two Medicine last week but failed to return as planned. A search was begun last Friday evening and continued until yesterday. The weather during the period was challenging - searchers had to contend with up to 18 inches of snow on trails, snow drifts, limited visibility and very windy conditions. Organizations assisting the park with the search included the Flathead County Sheriff's Office, Flathead Country Search and Rescue, North Valley Search and Rescue, Flathead Emergency Aviation Resources, and the US Border Patrol. [Denise Germann, Public Affairs Officer]

Virgin Islands NP

Tropical Storm Spares Park

The park weathered Tropical Storm Rafael with no damage. The park visitor center remained open throughout the weekend. Ports that were closed on Saturday morning reopened two hours later. The park was buffeted by gusty winds and heavy downpours, but the latter fell mostly in brief showers. There were no incidents. Hot and humid weather has returned to the area, with heat indexes near 98 to 100 degrees daily. Beaches are accordingly quite busy as visitors and locals try to escape the heat. [Mike Anderson, Deputy Superintendent]

Zion NP

Two Canyoneers Rescued From Heaps Canyon

On Saturday, October 6th, a 41-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman began a trip through Heaps Canyon, one of the park's more difficult canyoneering routes due to its length, cold water, a 300-foot free hanging rappel, and numerous obstacles, including slick rock potholes. Because of its length and difficulty, those who wish to complete Heap's Canyon as a day trip typically get a pre-dawn start. However, when this pair received their required wilderness permit around 9 am on Saturday, they said that their intention was to complete the canyon in one day. When park staff informed them they would not be able to complete the trip before dark, they said that they were prepared to spend the night. While the two were never reported overdue, rangers did note that their vehicle was still parked at a trailhead on the morning of Monday, October 8th. The Grand Canyon NP helicopter was requested in order to conduct a search. The helicopter crew found the canyoneers in the lower reaches of Heaps Canyon late that afternoon. After three days of travelling, the two had only completed about two-thirds of the canyon and had not gotten past some of its most difficult obstacles. The crew inserted a radio to the pair, who said that they couldn't complete the canyon without assistance. The woman reportedly sprained her ankle and was also having difficulty with the cold. On the morning of October 9th, a ranger and firefighter were inserted on a bench above the two canyoneers. They cleared a helispot, which made it possible for the helicopter to land with additional rescuers. The six-member rescue team lowered a medic from the bench 125 feet down to the stranded pair and then hauled all three people back to the bench. The two canyoneers did not require medical assistance. The experience and competence of the Grand Canyon pilot, manager, and ranger/medic were instrumental in ensuring the successful completion of this complex operation. Had rangers not noticed the canyoneers' vehicle at the trailhead, it is unclear when or if the two would have been reported overdue. Wilderness hikers should always inform someone of their plans along with an expected exit time. The pair also had far less experience than most Heaps Canyon travelers. The man, the more experienced of the two, had previously rappelled through several of Zion's easy to moderate canyoneering routes and had some top rope and gym climbing experience. [Ray O'Neil, Plateau District Ranger]

Glen Canyon NRA

Body Of Missing Jet Skier Recovered

The body of 58-year-old drowning victim J.B. was recovered from Lake Powell on October 10th by the park's underwater recovery unit. His body was found at a depth of over 100 feet using a remote operated vehicle equipped with sonar and video. The 16-day search occurred in Padre Canyon and included assistance from the Utah Highway Patrol dive team, the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and the Kane County Sheriff's Office. On the evening of Monday, September 24th, the park received a report of a missing person in Padre Canyon. During a localized windstorm with high wind and waves, a houseboat was pushed off shore and began to drift. J.B. used a jet ski to seek help from a nearby houseboat, picking up another person to go to the assistance of the drifting boat. Neither person on the jet ski was wearing a lifejacket or the kill-switch lanyard. As they were motoring toward the distressed houseboat, the jet ski lanyard fell off and activated the engine kill switch. J.B. jumped into the water to retrieve the lanyard; in the meantime, the passenger was able to restart the jet ski and motored to the distressed houseboat. When members of the group were informed that there was still a person in the water, they attempted rescue but were unable to find J.B. [Denise Shultz, Public Affairs Officer]

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/):

White House - Flags are to be lowered to half staff until sunset today, Tuesday, October 16th, in remembrance of Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter.

Grand Canyon NP - On Saturday, September 29th, visitors and community members were treated to a performance by Ballet Folklorico de Colores as part of the park's celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Homestead NM - Television personality Bill Nye “The Science Guy” wowed a crowd of over 3,000 people at Homestead National Monument of America on September 23rd.

Lincoln Home NHS - On September 29th, six local, state and national Abraham Lincoln related sites partnered to illuminate Springfield, Illinois, and commemorate the Civil War. 

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The Morning Report is a publication of the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, produced by the Office of Communications with the support of the Office of the Associate Director for Information Resources. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).

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