NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

INCIDENTS

Manzanar NHS

Flooding Causes Significant Damage To Park

Heavy summer rains on the night of July 22nd caused significant damage at Manzanar National Historic Site.

Shepherd Creek on the north side of Manzanar and Bairs Creek on the south jumped their banks, flooding the auto tour road and burying significant site features, including Merritt Park and gardens in Block 12 and Block 34. National Park Service and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power staff are in the process of assessing the damage.

The auto tour road and west boundary roads are closed until further notice, making the cemetery inaccessible by car, but the visitor center, which features 8,000 square feet of exhibits, an award-winning introductory film and book store, remains open. The restored World War II-era mess hall and two reconstructed barracks in Block 14 are also open.

[Alisa Lynch, Chief of Interpretation]

Olympic NP

Climber Killed In Fall On Mount Olympus

Early on the morning of Saturday, July 20th, park dispatch received a report that a climber had been seriously injured in a fall on Mount Olympus. A short time later, the park received word that other climbers, including a paramedic, had reached the man and determined that he'd died of his injuries.

The 28-year-old man was on the east face of the summit peak on Mount Olympus when the accident occurred. The fall was witnessed by members of another climbing group that was on the mountain at the time.

Rangers were flown via helicopter to Snow Dome on Mount Olympus and climbed through melting and challenging snow conditions to reach and recover the climber's body. It was airlifted out to Port Angeles that evening.

[Barb Maynes, Public Affairs Specialist]

Delaware Water Gap NRA

Visitor Drowns In River At Kittatinny Point

A 51-year-old Brooklyn man drowned in the Delaware River near Kittatinny Point on Saturday afternoon - the second drowning in the river within the park in a dozen days.

A call came into park dispatch reporting that the man had disappeared and had last been seen by family members 90 minutes earlier. Rangers and New Jersey State Police troopers responded and a search of the grounds ensued. Rangers also searched the nearby river and found the man's body about 20 yards from shore in nine to twelve feet of water. Park divers recovered the body and a county medical examiner pronounced him dead. The man was not wearing a lifejacket at the time of his death.

The recent heat wave brought increased numbers of visitors to the park seeking to cool off on or near the water. The area where he was swimming does not have lifeguards.

[Kathleen Sandt, 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/):

Grand Teton NP - Nearly 600 people joined in the T.A. Moulton Barn centennial celebration on Saturday, July 20th, at Mormon Row in Grand Teton National Park. It is considered to be the most photographed barn in Wyoming.

Director's Office - On Monday, Director Jarvis issued a memorandum to all employees entitled “Release of National Park Service Healthy Parks Healthy People Science Plan.” The full text is included within.

Denver Service Center - Abel Ramon has been selected as a branch chief in DSC's Information Management Division.  He will oversee the Technical Information Center, micrographics, and reprographics.

Outer Banks Group - Park historian and cultural resources manager Doug Stover will retire on July 31st after 32 years with the National Park Service. 

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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@contractor.nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@contractor.nps.gov).

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